Is Band Weight Loss Surgery Safe?

Are you determined to lose weight? How much weight do you need to lose? If you have tried many different diets and failed, there is a possibility that you may be a candidate for band weight loss surgery. First, though, learn the facts before making that decision.

Is band weight loss surgery for you? This surgery places an adjustable band around the upper part of the stomach and restricts the amount of food you can intake. The band is made of silicon and is filled with a saline solution. It is adjustable to different levels of food intake. Weight is lost because the amount of food you can eat is restricted because in effect you have a smaller stomach due to the band's restricting abilities. Surgery is invasive but reversible.

Doctors will not likely perform this surgery unless you are obese. Rule of thumb is that the body mass index (BMI) must be at least 35 with one or more severe related conditions. Those who are 100 pounds or more over their estimated ideal weight are good candidates for this surgery.

Even if you are a good candidate for band weight loss surgery, you might still wonder if the surgery is safe. Studies show it is less invasive than bariatric surgery, because the stomach is not cut and stapled, and no intestinal rerouting is involved. Because the band is adjustable, it can be tailored to any body type. Typically, an overnight stay in the hospital is all that is involved. There are, however, adverse reactions to this type of surgery that impose a health risk. These are:

1. Possible complications due to the medications and methods used during surgery.
2. The inability to tolerate a foreign object implanted in the body.
3. A tear in the stomach wall created before or during surgery, leading to more surgery.
4. Esophageal dilatation or poor movement of food in the esophagus.
5. Higher risk of death from invasive surgery in older patients.
6. Erosion of the band into the stomach, requiring further surgery.

If you do not think that you can follow all of the instructions given to you, following a weight loss surgery, surgery may not be the best option for you. With something dangerous as invasive surgery, it is in your best interest to explore all alternative before considering surgery.

Our website offers a better alternative to weight loss than surgery. If you are wondering "is band weight loss surgery safe" then you owe it to yourself to visit our site for further information before you consider surgery.

Alden Smith is a freelance writer that spent many years working with people having weight loss issues while participating in vocational rehab. He believes that the best weight loss advice should be made readily available to anyone having weight loss issues.

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How does gastric bands work?

The gastric band, aka the Lap-band is a restrictive only procedure. This surgery works in only one (1) way and that is to basically control portion size, thereby reducing the amount of food you take in and that results in less calories consumed. The gastric band received FDA approval in the United States in June of 2001; but had been used successfully in Europe for many years prior. Almost every gastric band that is placed is done using the laparoscopic approach (tiny incisions). This surgery is the least invasive weight loss treatment currently available today. It is important to note that there is no cure for obesity, bariatric surgery, including the gastric band, is only a tool to help you lose weight and sustain the weight loss.

Since it's introduction in 1983, there have been more than 350,000 gastric bands placed world-wide and studies have shown that the placement of this band has been proven to help patients feel full with the intake of small meals and weight loss occurs when following proper nutrition guidelines and incorporating exercise into your daily routine. Like all bariatric surgeries, this procedure does not work alone, you will need to modify your behavior and adopt new habits, including exercise, to have a successful outcome.

The gastric band does not involve the cutting, stapling or re-routing of the stomach or the intestines in any way. Food travels from the smaller banded pouch on the top of the stomach to the larger lower part of the stomach where it is completely digested. Unlike the gastric bypass, the digestion process for the gastric band is not affected at all. Gastric band patients do not experience the dumping syndrome, so you will need to watch your intake of sugar and fat and make nutrient-rich food choices.

The gastric band works by physically restricting the size of the stomach to about the size of a ping-pong ball or an egg using an adjustable silicone band that is placed around the top portion of the stomach. When you eat, the smaller top pouch created can only hold a small portion of food (usually 1/4 to 1/2 cup per meal) and when that pouch is full, it tricks your body into thinking the entire stomach is full so you are not hungry. The channel or opening that is created with the gastric band that separates the top portion of the stomach from the bottom is narrow and allows food to pass very slowly out of the top pouch to the bottom portion of the stomach where it mixes with gastric and digestive juices normally. No mal-absorption takes place so you need to be wise with your food choices, especially with high fat and sugar content. The band physically restricts the amount of food your stomach can hold; as stated above, a change in eating habits is essential in order to make the surgery work, as is daily exercise.

One of the best features about the gastric band is that it is adjustable, so if a patient starts to feel hungry and is able to eat greater portions without being satisfied, the band itself can be adjusted by the injection of saline into the silicone bands inner ring which greater narrows the channel or the opening between the upper pouch and the lower stomach so the food will pass more slowly, and in turn, keeps the top pouch full longer. Like the gastric bypass, the key is to keep your smaller stomach pouch full so you do not feel hungry, this is accomplished by not drinking with your meals. Fluid intake is done a half hour or so before and after meals. If you drink fluids with meals, your solid foods will liquify, causing what you have eaten to pass quickly through the stomach pouch and you will experience hunger rapidly. With this procedure, you will eat four (4) to six(6) small meals per day.

As stated, the gastric band is made out of silicone and is easily accepted by the body. The inside portion of the band is like the inner tube of a bicycle tire and can be inflated or deflated to make the opening between the upper pouch and the lower stomach larger or smaller as needed. A small thin tube leading to what is called a port, connects to the inner tube of the band. The port is small and will be surgically placed under the skin of the abdominal wall when the band is placed and cannot be seen from the outside. It is through this port that band adjustments are made when needed with the filling or removing of saline.

When the band is first placed, it is empty. Most patients will have their first fill or adjustment at about six (6) weeks after surgery. Regular and routine visits with your surgeon after surgery are expected to keep your band filled at an optimum level for you. Weight loss with the gastric band is gradual and much slower than that of the gastric bypass patient; expect about a one (1) to two (2) pound weight reduction per week. The more weight you have to lose, the quicker the weight loss. All patients should receive nutrition counseling prior to this surgery. The intake of protein, fruits and vegetables is essential to avoid malnutrition following any bariatric surgery.

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Hypnotic gastric band

Many people are discovering the Hypnotic Gastric Band as seen in many national newspapers to help people lose weight. Although my traditional hypnosis and coaching has always had great success from my own perspective when people started talking about hypnotic gastric bands I was unsure of what to think.

So what is the secret?

It's just about belief, it's not that magical really, we all have very strong belief systems, we must brush our teeth every day, we must remember to buy our loved ones birthday cards, we must go to bed before a certain time so we don't feel so tired the next day.

If we believe we have a smaller stomach that doesn't need so much food strongly enough it will become internalised in our mind set. What does the hypnosis do? I could start talking Freudian and go on about the id, ego and super ego but I'll save that for another time.

When we have our eyes closed and we're relaxed and we're in a place where we aren't afraid to be honest about things (a therapists office) we become very open to suggestion, in effect to new beliefs. When we are awake we use our conscious mind to fight things such as an urge not to eat that cream cake, but when we see that cake the selfish part of us (the id let's say) starts to give us excuses, life "Go on just one treat, you deserve this" and so our conscious 'will power fails' a bit like when a fuse fails when the electric power is too much for it. By relaxing the mind we can access the core belief systems of the mind, the one's that have been established over years of developing our morals and beliefs.

Under hypnosis you can reinforce a belief over and over until it is a strong as our belief that we should brush our teeth regularly. Back to the gastric band. With the Hypnotic Gastric Band you persuade the client that their stomach is small and can't hold a lot of food, but in my opinion that is never going to be enough. You see my methodology is much more thorough than simply making people imagine they have small stomachs and it works so I'm sticking with it.

Step 1 - Understand the person, their diet, their self esteem, their physical training regime, what motivates them etc.

Step 2 - Build rapport and trust by talking about the things in step 1 in more detail.

Step 3 - Coaching and CBT methods to develop a plan that they can follow combining healthy eating, with exercise and a healthy social life.

Step 4 - reinforce it through hypnosis

Step 5 - introduce a gastric band through hypnosis.

Step 6 - Feel good inside when you get a thank you card saying how you've changed someone's life for the better. The beauty is this stuff works so if you're a therapist looking to help others my method is tried and tested so use it.

If you're someone looking to lose weight then trust me you've got to try this out.

My whole philosophy is be your best self, it's what I do for a living at [http://www.bestself.co.uk]Leicester Hypnotherapy & [http://www.bestself.co.uk]Peak Performance Coaching.

So be your best self.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Weight-Loss-With-a-Hypnotic-Gastric-Band&id=5239028] Weight Loss With a Hypnotic Gastric Band

What Is Lap Band Surgery?

In the next few paragraphs, we will explore new ideas and thoughts that may help you achieve your goal and decide what is best for you.

We hope that you have gained a clear grasp of the subject matter presented in the first half of this article.

� Increased risk for many types of cancer

� Increased chance of having type II diabetes

� Higher risk of developing heart disease

We hope that the first part of this article as brought you a lot of much needed information on the subject at hand.

As we take a closer look, keep in mind all of the useful and important information that we have learned so far.

� Increased likelihood of having high blood pressure and stroke

� Higher chance of having joint ailments like arthritis

� Increased likelihood of having breathing problems

How Can Obesity Be Controlled?

Traditionally, obesity has been considered a result of overindulgence in food and lack of exercise. For some people, this is the case. Diet and exercise play an important role in controlling obesity, but in some cases, the extra weight gets in the way to starting a good diet and exercise program.

For those people, weight loss surgery, including lap band surgery, may be an effective option in getting excess weight under control. When the weight is gone, it's possible to implement a good exercise plan.

Types of Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery may be a good option for people who have not had weight loss success with non-surgical methods. Weight loss surgery can provide the best results for these individuals, including longer-term loss of weight.

The two most common types of weight loss surgery are lap band surgery and gastric bypass surgery. There are significant differences between these two weight loss surgery options, and it's important that those considering weight loss surgery understand the risks and benefits of both options.

What is Gastric Bypass?

Gastric bypass is a weight loss surgery option that involves several steps, including the following:

� Stapling the stomach to reduce its size

� Bypassing much of the stomach and some of the intestines

� Surgically attaching the intestines to the smaller stomach pouch

This procedure makes it impossible for the patient to eat as much food as they normally would. The shortened intestine also means that the body cannot absorb as many nutrients from the food.

There are some advantages to this weight loss surgery option. They include a rapid loss of weight and a long history of successful use in the United States. Gastric bypass sometimes results in a higher total average loss of weight than is found in patients who have undergone a lap band procedure.

The disadvantages of gastric bypass surgery are significant. The procedure is extremely invasive. Gastric bypass surgery results in more complications than lap band surgery, and patients who have undergone gastric bypass procedures have a difficult time absorbing essential nutrients from their food.

In addition, there are several negative side effects associated with the gastric bypass procedure, including "dumping syndrome" and medical complications. Reversal of gastric bypass surgery is very difficult, and gastric bypass surgery has a mortality rate that is ten times higher than lap band surgery.

What is Lap Band Surgery?

Lap band surgery is a weight loss surgery option that involves placing an adjustable gastric band around the upper portion of a patient's stomach. This procedure restricts the amount of food the stomach can contain, because it restricts the size of the stomach. It also increases the amount of time it takes for food to pass to the intestines.

The lap band procedure works because it limits the amount of food a patient can eat, slows digestion, and reduces the patient's appetite. This procedure does not interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Lap band surgery has many advantages, including being minimally invasive, adjustable, and reversible. There is a much lower risk for malnutrition. The short-term mortality rate for lap band surgery is one tenth the mortality rate for gastric bypass, making it a much safer weight loss surgery option.

The disadvantages of lap band surgery are that it results in slower weight loss than gastric bypass surgery, requires follow-up medical visits, and has a small risk of leaking or slipping.

If you type in the main word from the subject of this article into any reliable search engine, you will pull up a variety of resources.

Over time, you will begin to understand how these concepts really come together if you choose to venture into this subject further.

In closing, it will benefit you to seek out other resources on this topic if you feel that you don�t yet have a firm understanding of the subject matter.

Obesity Surgery the Pros and Cons

When diet and exercise have failed, some people have nowhere to go. Savvy fatties turn to their surgeons and ask for a gastric bypass, gastric band, gastrectomy or duodenal switch operation, types of obesity surgery for those who have tried every other method conceivable to lose weight with little or no result.

While a nip there and a tuck and a gouge there may sound great, obesity surgery is not for everyone. It is almost always only for those who are facing imminent health problems due to their enormous bulk – including those who could die if they do not cut their weight down significantly.

A good doctor will only perform these types of operations on those with a body mass index, or BMI, of at least 35 accompanied with an obesity-related disease such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and sleep apnoea. If your BMI is 40 and you don't have such health problems, you could also be a candidate for surgery.

Types of Obesity Surgery

Different types of surgery suit different people. Discuss the options with your doctor first. Surgeries include:

Gastric Bypass Surgery: Originally performed in 1967, this type of surgery has evolved greatly since its introduction. The name comes from the fact that surgeons reconfigure parts of the stomach so that food bypasses the top bit of the gut, or the small intestine, to prevent it from being absorbed by the body, thus less weight being gained.

In most cases, a tiny part of the stomach is sectioned off to create a small pouch which will only accommodate small portions of food. If you eat more you feel sick, and may even throw up. So eventually you will be trained to want – and eat – a lot less. Several types of gastric bypass surgeries are on offer: the Roux-en-Y (distal), and the Roux-en-Y (proximal), the most common, the Mini Gastric Bypass.

Advantages: Gastric bypass surgery is a radical step when all else has failed. It can help people reach a reasonable weight which would then allow them to exercise normally and keep the weight off. For people with severe health problems caused by being obese, it often is the only answer. Often people take this step after being warned they face death unless they achieve significant weight loss.

Disadvantages: Fourteen percent of patients who had this procedure where deep incisions were made suffered complications. General risks overall are respiratory complications, infection, blood clots, bowel obstructions and leakage of the intestine or stomach contents into other parts of the body. It might also exacerbate other health problems common among the morbidly obese.

Gastric Band: This one is performed using keyhole surgery, or a laparoscopic technique, which is why it's sometimes called “lap band” surgery (not to be confused with lap dances!). In this case, a pouch is made in the stomach thanks to a small band, kind of like a rubber band, which dictates how much a person can eat at once.

The beauty part is surgeons can make the band either tighter or looser by deflating or inflating a balloon filled with silicone, which lies inside the band itself. This is done by using a sterile needle, and can be carried out every six to eight weeks.

Advantages: Safer as no part of the stomach is actually removed. This type of keyhole surgery is considered less invasive, and most patients absorb nutrients well both during and after the the time when the band is inside them.

Disadvantages: Some people suffer sometimes fatal complications as a result of general anesthesia, and this procedure also carries risks of blood clots, organ damage, and infection. In rare cases the band slips or even erodes through the stomach wall. If you lose weight very quickly you might develop gallstones.

Sleeve Gastrectomy: The stomach is divided length-wise and about 80 percent of it is removed completely to create a banana-shaped tube, or sleeve. As it is much smaller than a regular stomach, the amount of food a patient can comfortably eat is severely restricted. Often this is performed on patients who are so big they cannot safely undergo a bypass operation; at a later date they sometimes have this carried out.

Advantages: Nutrient absorption remains good as no actual bypass has been created. And the amount of weight lost is statistically higher (no surprise there – hard to eat with virtually no stomach!).

Disadvantages: Believe it or not, the sleeve can expand if the patient continues to eat a lot, and they can regain weight lost – or not lose weight at all. Also, the procedure is a done deal as it's not reversible, and there is a risk that leakage of the gut may occur.

Duodenal Switch: The stomach is reduced in size and reshaped to form a sleeve or banana shape, like a gastrectomy, but then it bypasses about half of the small intestine and is reconnected to its shortened shape. This forms a conduit in which both gastric juices and food are mixed together. Yum!

Advantages: Patients on the whole lose more weight with this operation.

Disadvantages: You will absorb less food including vital nutrients, and the operation is technically difficult and performed less often, so some surgeons have less experience with it.

Risks of Being Obese
The risks of obesity surgery are real - but so are the health risks of being obese. If you are more than 65lb over your ideal weight, you fall into this category. Some obese people have no health problems, but these lucky large ones are rare. If you are obese, it is estimated that you are:

* More likely to have a stroke, be infertile, suffer from depression, have back problems, snore, suffer other sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea, and develop specific cancers such as breast, cervix, ovarian and prostate cancer
* Twice as likely to develop arthritis than people of normal weight
* Almost four times as likely to develop diabetes
* Six times more likely to have disease of the gallbladder, with an almost six times greater chance that you will develop hypertension

Having obesity surgery is not a decision to be entered into lightly, as it is a step that will have a profound effect on the rest of your life. It is also not to be considered as a substitute for healthy eating and diet – it is a last-ditch attempt for morbidly obese people who have explored all other avenues to get their weight under control and failed.

If you think this could be the right choice for you, discuss all options with your doctor and choose a certified surgeon who has done countless similar operations in the best. Remember, once you start, there is no going back, so think long and hard before jumping in. Good luck!

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate medical professional.

Overview of Gastric Bypass surgery

The newest thing in the weight loss industry is the Gastric Bypass surgery and this is gaining more and more publicity. This surgery has been around for years and has had many triumph stories supporting the facts.

So what is Gastric Bypass surgery?
The hottest weight loss surgery has been a gossip of controversy and sensation for many years. There are many advantages and disadvantages to this surgery to believe. Gastric Bypass surgery is described as a surgery and in turn allows the food you consume to bypass your small intestine causing your stomach to become slighter. The quantity of food you intake is diminished and you feel bursting after a small portion. There are different names of this method.

The advantages of Gastric Bypass surgery are many. One benefit in particular is that you loose weight at a prompt rate. This diminishes your odds of having diabetes, high blood pressure, or other damaging conditions. When our body loses weight abruptly, our health increases at a rapid rate. This procedure can boost our self-esteem and this has a major positive effect on our lives. With the Gastric Bypass surgery, your self-esteem will permit you to have more excitement to life.

About Gastric Bands

The gastric band, aka the Lap-band is a restrictive only practice. This surgery facility in only one (1) way and that is to chiefly curb portion size, thus falling the quantity of food you take in and that results in fewer calories consumed.

In 2001 the gastric band received US FSA approval but had been used successfully in Europe for many years earlier. Almost every gastric band that is sited is done with the laparoscopic method (tiny incisions). This surgery is the slightest invasive weight loss treatment presently existing today. It is important to comment that there is no cure for obesity, bariatric surgery, with the gastric band, is only a tool to help you lose weight and sustain the weight loss.

there have been more than 350,000 gastric bands since 2003 located world-wide and studies have revealed that the residency of this band has been proven to help patients feel full with the intake of small meals and weight loss occurs when accurate nutrition guidelines and incorporating exercise into your daily practice. Like all bariatric surgeries, this method does not work in isolation, you will essential help to adapt your behavior and adopt new lifestyle, including exercise, to have a successful outcome.

The gastric band does not comprise of cutting, stapling or re-routing of the stomach or the intestines in any way. Food travels from the slighter banded pouch on the top of the stomach to the bigger lower part of the stomach where it is completely digested. Different to the gastric bypass, the digestion method for the gastric band is not unnatural at all. Gastric band patients do not experience the dumping syndrome, so you will must watch your intake of sugar and fat and make nutrient loaded food choices.

The gastric band mechanism by physically restricting the size of the stomach to about the size of a ping-pong ball or an egg using an adjustable silicone band that is located around the top portion of the stomach. When you eat, the smaller top pouch formed can only hold a small portion of food (usually 1/4 to 1/2 cup per meal) and when that pouch is full, it tricks your body into believing the whole stomach is full so you are not hungry. The canal or opening that is created with the gastric band that separates the top portion of the stomach from the bottom is narrow and allows food to accept very slowly out of the top pouch to the bottom portion of the stomach where it mixes with gastric and digestive juices naturally.

No mal-absorption takes place so it is necessary to be astute with your food choices, especially with high fat and sugar content. The band physically restricts the quantity of food your stomach can occupy; as stated above, a change in eating behavior is central in order to make the surgery work, as is daily exercise.