Laparoscopic Bariatric Specialists International at Piyavate Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand Successful patients of LBS


Here you will find important information about morbid obesity and the use of the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System as a surgical aid for treatment of this potentially life-threatening condition.

What is Morbid Obesity?
Morbid obesity exists when excess weight is associated with undesirable implications for general health and when:

  • a person weighs at least twice his or her ideal weight

or

  •  a person weighs at least 100 lbs. (45 kilos) more than his or her ideal weight.

The above statements provide only a general description of morbid obesity. The exact degree of excess weight is determined using the Body Mass Index (BMI), which employs both weight and height to calculate the measurement. We use the term “morbid obesity” because this degree of excess weight may considerably reduce life expectancy and is associated with an increased risk of developing conditions or diseases such as:

  • Diabetes

  • High blood pressure

  • Joint problems

  • Gallstones

  • Cerebral infarction

  • Heart and vascular diseases

  • Psychosocial problems

With sufficient weight loss, your health can be improved, your risk of developing associated conditions or diseases can be reduced, and the quality of your life can be enhanced.

How Can You Lose Weight?

Non-surgical intervention:
Many overweight people have tried and failed to lose unhealthy excess weight. There are many slimming diets, “cures” and products that advertise success. However, numerous studies have demonstrated that diets and weight-loss aids rarely succeed in helping people achieve the desired result of long-lasting weight reduction. In fact, many people have succeeded in losing weight only to regain it when they stop dieting.

Surgery:
If diets, exercise programs, and other non-surgical methods have failed to help you achieve long-term weight loss, you may want to consider an operation to artificially reduce the capacity of the stomach and to help decrease your appetite. The LAP-BAND System’s innovative surgical technology can help you attain desirable weight-loss results.

The LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System
The word LAP-BAND is the abbreviated and trademarked combination of two words (LAP from laparoscopic and BAND from gastric band).

The LAP-BAND System’s silicone elastomer band is placed around the upper part of the stomach to create a small stomach pouch which can hold only a small amount of food. The lower, larger part of the stomach is below the band. These two parts are connected by a small outlet created by the band. Food will pass through the outlet (“stoma” in medical terms) from the upper stomach pouch to the lower part more slowly, and you will feel full longer.

The LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System

One of the major advantages of the LAP-BAND System is that the diameter of the band outlet is adjustable to meet your individual needs, which can change as you lose weight. The inner surface of the band can be inflated with liquid (saline solution) or deflated to modify the size of the stoma. The band is connected by tubing to a reservoir, which is placed well under the skin during surgery. After the operation, the surgeon can control the amount of saline in the band by entering the reservoir with a fine needle through the skin. The LAP-BAND System is a unique surgical treatment because in many cases the size of the stoma can be customized to accommodate your changing needs without further surgery.

The Advantages of the LAP-BAND System at a Glance


The LAP-BAND® System Method
Patient-friendly technique:
Of all the operations for severe obesity, the LAP-BAND System method is considered to be the least traumatic. The operation can usually be performed using laparoscopy (using small incisions and long instruments rather than a single large incision). The procedure requires no cutting or stapling of the stomach.

Adjustability:
In many cases, no follow-up operation is necessary to modify the diameter of the stoma.

Avoids irreversible damage:
If the LAP-BAND System needs to be removed for any reason, the stomach generally returns to its original form.

Reduced hospital stay:
Patients normally leave the hospital within two to four days of the laparoscopic operation, or four to eight days if an abdominal incision is required or if complications occur.

Quicker recovery:
After the laparoscopic procedure, patients usually resume normal activities within a week or two, and within four weeks if the procedure is not done laparoscopically or if there are complications.

How Much Weight Can You Lose with the LAP-BAND System?
Most people lose between one-third and two-thirds of their excess weight with the help of the LAP-BAND System. It is important to remember that the LAP-BAND System is an aid to support you in achieving lasting results by limiting food intake, reducing appetite and slowing digestion. However, for the ultimate success of the operation it is very important that you play an active part in the effort to lose weight and keep it off by adopting a different lifestyle and eating pattern for the rest of your life.

Laparoscopic Bariatric Specialists, LBS, Adjustable Gastric Banding, Lap-Band or Swedish Band in Bangkok, Thailand

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