Obesity Surgery

If you have tried diets, exercises and medicines, and they haven't helped you lose and maintain a healthy weight, one option may be an operation to artificially reduce the amount your stomach can hold and decrease your appetite. A new surgical method which does this uses the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System.

The BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System

The word LAP-BAND is the abbreviated combination of two words (LAP from laparoscopic and BAND from gastric band). The band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, thus dividing the stomach into two parts.

The small upper stomach pouch can only hold a small amount of food. The remainder of the stomach lies below the band. The two parts are connected by means of a small opening created by the band. Food will pass through from the upper stomach pouch more slowly, which means you will feel full longer.

One of the great advantages of the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System is that the band opening is adjustable, which means that its diameter can be varied. The inner surface of the band contains a balloon that is connected by tubing to a reservoir, which is placed under the skin in the abdomen during surgery. After surgery, the surgeon can make the band opening larger or smaller by piercing the reservoir with a fine needle through the skin and adding or subtracting liquid to inflate or deflate the balloon. In this way the size of the opening (for which the medical name is "stoma") can be varied. This means that the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System is a unique surgical treatment because the stoma can be modified without the need for another operation.

The Advantages of the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System at a Glance

The BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System method is:

Patient-friendly: Of all the operations that reduce the size of the stomach, it is the least invasive, as the operation can usually be performed by means of laparoscopy (a surgical technique using small incisions and a narrow instrument, rather that a single large incision). The band may be adjusted afterward without surgery.

Precise: It is the only operation that can decide the exact size of the small stomach and the diameter of the stoma.

Adjustable: No extra operation is necessary to adjust the diameter of the stoma.

Less traumatic: There is no cutting, stapling or crushing of the stomach.

No irreversible damage: If, for unforeseen reasons, the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System needs to be removed, in all probability the stomach will revert to its original form. Although this is not the aim, the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System can be removed without problems.

Fast: You will normally be able to leave the hospital within two to four days after the operation.

How much weight can you lose with the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® system?

On average, you may lose between half and two-thirds of your excess weight with the help of the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System. It is important to remember that the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System is an aid to support you in achieving lasting results by reducing your appetite and slowing digestion. However, if the operation is to be successful, it is very important that you play an active part in the effort to lose weight and keep it off. Even with the band, you will have to adopt a different lifestyle and eating pattern for the rest of your life.

Who can be considered for the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® system?

In order to establish whether the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System is appropriate for you the following criteria will be used:

You are between 18 and 60 years of age.
You weigh double your ideal weight or more, or at least 45 kilos more than your ideal weight.
You are suffering from obvious health problems that are associated with severe obesity such as diabetes, joint problems, heart problems or snoring with regular cessation of breathing (sleep apnoea).
You have been overweight for more than 5 years.
You have made serious attempts to lose weight, which may have been successful, but the weight has not stayed off.
You are not suffering from any other disease, which could have caused you to be overweight.
You are prepared to make drastic changes in your eating habits and lifestyle, and continue to being monitored by the specialist treating you.
You do not drink alcohol in excess and do not use "mind-expanding" substances.

The BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System Patient Book (detailed booklet) 1194 KB

This BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System Patient Book will provide you with detailed information on the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System surgical solution for the treatment of severe obesity, including the following: