For some adults, losing weight can be difficult. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 66 percent of adults are overweight or obese. Some of these adults have tried various diets and exercise programs. Others have contemplated lap band surgery, a procedure for overweight adults having difficulty resolving their harmful weight problem. When considering lap band, it is wise to understand the alternatives before you undergo surgery and select the best procedure for your body. According to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, "through careful research and discussion with a qualified bariatric surgeon, patients can decide which procedure may be the best for them."
Vertical Banded Gastroplasty
Surgical staples separate the stomach into two sections for vertical banded gastroplasty. The top section of the stomach restricts food space. A small opening allows food to release from the top section to the bottom section. A band goes over the small opening, preventing stretching. In addition, the food process slows when entering the pouch. The delay of the food causes the body to feel full. Unfortunately, the band and the staples may eventually break down. In addition, the American Medical Association, AMA, has said that the vertical band gastroplasty is a "severely dangerous" procedure; about one out of 100 patients die in the hospital within 12 months of the operation. According to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, reduction in vertical banded gastroplasty has occurred because "studies have shown prominent rate of weight regain or exacerbation of severe heartburn."
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
During Roux-en-Y, also known as gastric bypass, the doctor staples the stomach to create a small pouch. Parts of the intestines attach to small pouch, bypassing most of the stomach and a section of the intestines. Gastric bypass reduces the stomach and food passes through part of the intestines. Gastric bypass also reduces the rate that food moves from the pouch. Some patients may experience "dumping syndrome," which the Mayo Clinic says is when undigested food from the stomach is "dumped" or transported into the too quickly, sometimes causing abdominal pain and nausea.
Sleeve Gastrectomy
Removal of most of the stomach occurs in sleeve gastrectomy, producing a sleeve-like stomach shape, which holds less food. Normally when patients who are severely overweight have the sleeve gastrectomy, a second operation is required. The sleeve gastrectomy allows the patient to lose some weight before the second procedure, typically a gastric bypass or biliopancreatic. Operating on an extremely obese person can be difficult, requiring a two-step procedure.
Biliopancreatic Diversion
According to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, removal of 70 percent of the stomach occurs, decreasing the quantity of acids created by the rest of the stomach. The section of the stomach remaining directly connects to the final part of the small intestine, bypassing other sections of the small intestine. Bile and pancreatic digestive juices blend in a common channel that remains intact before they travel to the colon. A slightly different procedure involves the biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch created to prevent ulcers, which increases gastric restriction amounts, and reduces the severity of malnutrition and "dumping syndrome." After the biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch is completed, a larger section of the stomach remains, which includes the pyloric valve that controls the release of food into the small intestine and the duodenum, a short section of the that connects to intestine to the stomach.
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