Some Facts On Gastric Banding Surgery Nj Residents May Wish To Know About

By Olive Pate


Obesity continues to be a major challenge all over the world including Englewood, nj. With an increasing number of people leading sedentary lifestyles, the problem is likely to be with us for a long time. Engaging in physical activities and eating a healthy diet are some of the methods that have been adopted to help deal with the problem. Surgery has been helpful to a good number of patients that fail to respond to the conservative methods. There are some basic facts on gastric banding surgery nj residents may want to know.

This operation is considered minimally invasive. The general principle is to reduce the capacity of the stomach eventually reducing the amount of food that ca be consumed in one sitting. After the operation, a person feels satisfied earlier than was the case previously. This effectively leads to less weight gain and in the long run, net weight loss. The food eaten is prioritised for energy production and very little ends up as storage.

The ideal candidate for this operation is a person whose body mass index is more than 40 or weighs 45 kg more than their ideal weight. A lower BMI of between 35 and 40 is accepted if there is a medical condition contributing to the excessive weight. This often happens in the case of hypertension or diabetes. The candidate must be over 18 years of age and should have attempted the conventional methods of weight loss.

The kind of preparation that is required varies from one centre to another. For instance one may be required to adjust on the number of meals in a day by adopting frequent small meals rather than few heavier meals. Patients are also commonly advised to wean off high calorie foods that have the tendency to increase the body weight. Medical conditions that may be present have to be managed before the operation.

Before the operation, general anaesthesia is administered. This may be a disadvantage if you want to witness the event live. Fortunately, some centres may record it for you and you can watch the video later on. The entire surgery is laparoscopic. Three small ports of entry are made on the anterior abdominal wall and used for the insertion of instruments. The advantage of this technique is that the scars tissue will be almost invisible.

In this surgery, no actual cutting of tissues takes place. Instead, a silicon band is used to achieve the desired effect. This band is put on the upper part of the stomach. The compression effect created leaves a small pouch for a stomach. Consequently, only a small amount of food is required to fill it up. Adjustments may be made depending on the initial size and the desired size.

There are several side effects that you need to be aware of even as you consider undergoing the operation. In the period immediately after the operation patients usually complain of abdominal discomfort, nausea and vomiting. The discomfort may be the result of ulceration caused by the band. Other complaints include weight regain, malabsorption and constipation.

In general, few complications are encountered. Death rates stand at 1 in 2000 cases. It should be understood that the skill of the surgeon plays a big part in determining the results. At the same time, dietary modification and engaging in physical exercise need to continue.




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