LAP-Band® System – Bariatric Surgery in Los Angeles

Excessive hunger can prove detrimental to anyone trying to lose weight, and it can be especially frustrating for those who suffer from obesity-related health problems. The LAP-BAND® System is an innovative weight loss solution that can effectively curb hunger and help you lose weight. A minimally invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery, the LAP-BAND® System consists of an adjustable gastric band that reduces the size of the stomach, enabling you to eat less and lose weight over time. California Bariatric and General Surgery Associates is proud to offer the LAP-BAND® System at our surgery center in Los Angeles, serving Orange County, San Bernardino and all of Southern California.

How the LAP-BAND® System Works
The LAP-BAND® System Procedure
Benefits of the LAP-BAND® System
Are You a Candidate for LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery?
Risks and Side Effects

How the LAP-BAND® System Works

LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery at our Los Angeles clinic helps patients lose weight by restricting the amount of food they can consume at one time. The LAP-BAND® System consists of a silicon ring that is placed around the upper portion of the stomach and filled with a saline solution, the amount of which can be adjusted as needed. Once filled, the band tightens to create a new, smaller pouch that essentially acts as a food storage area. This small stomach pouch can only hold a small amount of food at one time, so the patient feels full even after consuming a small number of calories.

The LAP-BAND® System also helps tame hunger by regulating the function of the stomach outlet (known as the stoma) between the new stomach pouch and the rest of the stomach. This allows food to move more slowly between the two parts of the stomach, effectively slowing digestion and allowing the patient to feel fuller, longer.

This feeling of fullness and satisfaction allows the patient to eat smaller portions and lose a significant amount of weight over time.

The LAP-BAND® Procedure

During surgery, the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band is wrapped around the patient’s stomach using laparoscopic techniques. The surgeon will make tiny incisions, through which he or she will insert specially designed tubes, called ports. Through these ports, a tiny camera and surgical instruments are inserted, allowing the surgeon to operate without making large incisions. Using the camera (laparoscope) to monitor the operative site, the surgeon will wrap the gastric band around the patient’s stomach and fasten it in a secure ring.

Once the LAP-BAND® System is in place, it is adjustable. Through plastic tubing that connects the band to an access port just beneath the skin of your abdomen, the surgeon can add and subtract saline, effectively adjusting the size of the stoma (stomach outlet). This process helps regulate the patient’s rate of weight loss and make adjustments for an increase in caloric needs, such as a pregnancy or illness. Conversely, patients who are not experiencing an ideal rate of weight loss can have their bands tightened.

Benefits of the LAP-BAND® System

LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery offers our Los Angeles and Orange County area patients several advantages over bariatric surgery and traditional weight loss techniques.

The LAP-BAND® System is the least invasive surgical option available
It does not involve the cutting or stapling of the stomach or bowel
It does not involve intestinal re-routing
The LAP-BAND® System has a much lower patient mortality rate than gastric bypass surgery
LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery requires a shorter hospital stay and patients generally recover more quickly
The risk of malabsorption and nutritional deficiencies is low
Patients do not suffer “dumping syndrome” resulting from dietary restrictions
Because the LAP-BAND® Gastric Band is adjustable, patients can tailor their weight loss based on personal preferences and lifestyle changes (such as pregnancy) without additional surgery.
The LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band is removable at any time

For further information about the benefits of the LAP-BAND® System, contact our Los Angeles practice to schedule a consultation with one of our talented surgeons.

Are You a Candidate for LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery?

If you are interested in the LAP-BAND® System at our surgery center in Los Angeles, you may be a candidate if:

You have a Body Mass Index (BMI) above 40 or you are 100 lbs over your ideal healthy weight or you weigh twice your ideal weight. You can calculate your BMI on our weight loss candidate page.
You are at least 18 years of age
You have tried other weight loss techniques, including changes in diet and exercise, without success
You have been overweight or obese for more than five years
You do not have any special health conditions that could complicate surgery
You do not drink excessive amounts of alcohol
You are willing to commit to the dietary and lifestyle changes that are required for your long-term success with the LAP-BAND® System.

After a thorough evaluation of your medical history and a straightforward discussion of the risks and benefits associated with LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery, you and your surgeon will decide if the LAP-BAND® System is right for you.

Risks and Side Effects

The LAP-BAND® System, like any surgery, does carry some amount of risk. Generally, risks and complications can include:

Nausea and vomiting
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Band slippage or loosening
Blockage of the stoma, or stomach outlet
Stomach irritation, heartburn, bloating, dehydration, constipation, and difficulty swallowing
No weight loss or weight regain
Death (extremely rare)

There are also risks associated with laparoscopic surgery, which can include damage to the blood vessels; blood clots; wound rupture; lung, spleen, or liver damage; and perforation (puncturing) of the stomach or esophagus.

Serious complications are rare. You and your surgeon will have an in-depth discussion about any preexisting conditions you may have that could affect your surgery. Generally, people with inflammatory, heart, lung, or autoimmune disorders are not good candidates for the LAP-BAND® System.

Learn More about the LAP-BAND® System

To find out if you are a good candidate for LAP-BAND® System surgery, contact our Los Angeles practice, serving Orange County, San Bernardino, and all of Southern California, today. We will schedule a consultation, during which one of our surgeons will address your questions, concerns, and weight loss goals.