There are several different forms of obesity surgery available now including the reasonably new surgical procedure of gastric lap banding which is rising in popularity and is rapidly becoming the preferred choice for a significant number of morbidly obese individuals. But are you a suitable candidate for gastric lap band weight loss surgery?
In answering this question we will start by presuming that you are suitable for obesity surgery generally and that your only concern is whether or not you should be thinking about lap banding. In very simple terms this would mean that you are over the age of 18, are morbidly obese with a body mass index (BMI) in excess of 40 (or over 35 with one or more co-morbid conditions and that you have already tried traditional weight loss methods (including possible drug treatment) without any success.
It is frequently assumed that people facing weight loss surgery are simply overweight and it is all too easy to forget that people who are severely overweight are often suffering from several other conditions, many of which result from the fact that they are overweight. It is the existence of these other conditions which normally presents a hurdle when it comes to choosing between different surgical options.
Because lap banding is a type of restrictive surgery where the stomach is physically restricted in size to limit the amount of food that can pass through the stomach and digestive system, this form of surgery is probably not going to be suitable if your esophagus, stomach or intestine are abnormal. An abnormality could be inherited or acquired and a common problem seen is a narrowing at some point along the digestive tract.
Problems within the stomach or esophagus which might result in bleeding (such as esophageal or gastric varices – a dilated vein) would also rule out gastric lap band surgery, as will problems at the site where the band is to be placed around the stomach, such as an injury, gastric perforation or scarring.
Problems might also arise if you are suffering from any type of inflammation or inflammatory condition in the gastrointestinal tract like esophagitis, ulcers or Crohn’s disease.
Finally, lap band surgery is not considered suitable for pregnant women or for women who are considering pregnancy. Should pregnancy occur after lap banding the band can be deflated to allow for the higher nutritional requirement however, where deflating the band is not sufficient, the band could need to be removed.
One advantage of lap band surgery is that the procedure is reversible and, if it becomes necessary, the band can be removed returning the stomach to its previous state. This can however also be a disadvantage of the system. Motivation is the key to any type of obesity surgery but is a particular issue when it comes to lap band surgery. Should you have any doubt about how determined you are to succeed then this form of surgery might not be the best choice for you.