Category: Lab-band

Bariatric surgery, as offered at Tijuana Bariatrics, is an effective weight loss solution for individuals who are classified as medically obese or morbidly obese. Bariatric procedures alter the stomach or digestive tract to reduce appetite, limit calorie absorption, and encourage significant weight loss. When considering bariatric surgery, there are multiple techniques to choose from.

Here, we provide information about two popular bariatric techniques: gastric sleeve and gastric LAP-BAND®. We discuss the key similarities and differences regarding gastric sleeve vs. gastric LAP-BAND so that individuals gain a better understanding of which of the procedures offered at our Tijuana, Mexico, practice is best-suited to their unique needs and desires.

What Do Gastric Sleeve and Gastric LAP-BAND Have In Common?

Gastric sleeve and gastric LAP-BAND are two unique bariatric techniques that have many differences. However, the procedures share a common goal, and they obtain that goal in a similar manner. Both techniques are meant to encourage rapid and effective weight loss so that individuals improve their overall health, confidence, and well-being. And both procedures achieve that goal by reducing the size of the stomach so that it can hold less food.

Key Differences Between Gastric Sleeve and LAP-BAND

While both gastric sleeve and gastric LAP-BAND reduce the size of the stomach to assist with weight loss, they do so in two very different ways. During a gastric sleeve procedure, the stomach is reshaped and resized. Incisions are made to divide the stomach into two sections. The larger section is completely removed, so that patients are left with a thin, tube-shaped stomach. About 80 percent of the stomach is removed during a gastric sleeve procedure.

During a gastric LAP-BAND procedure, the entire stomach is left intact. Rather than surgically removing a portion of the stomach, this technique uses an adjustable band to significantly reduce the stomach’s capacity to hold food. The band, which is an inflatable silicone ring, squeezes around the stomach so that the pouch that holds food is just a fraction of the stomach’s natural size.

Which Is Right for Me?

Both gastric sleeve and gastric LAP-BAND can be effective weight loss techniques, but it is important that our Tijuana patients undergo the procedure that is best-suited to their unique needs and desires.

Gastric LAP-BAND surgery is minimally invasive and completely reversible, both of which make it a suitable option for a wide range of patients. LAP-BAND candidates include individuals who are overweight (typically with a BMI of 30 or more), people who have had a hard time losing weight through diet and exercise, and those with weight-related health conditions.

Gastric sleeve surgery is more invasive than gastric LAP-BAND, so the candidacy qualifications are more selective. Gastric sleeve surgery candidates have a BMI of 40 or above and suffer from one or more obesity-related health problems. Gastric sleeve candidates also must be free of any conditions that could increase the risk of surgical complications.

Contact Us

If you have excess weight that has been resistant to diet and exercise efforts, you may be an ideal candidate for bariatric surgery. To learn more about the surgical techniques offered at Tijuana Bariatrics, including gastric sleeve and gastric LAP-BAND, send us a message online to schedule a consultation.

It can be difficult to make the lifestyle changes necessary to lose excess weight. The task is especially daunting when someone is obese or morbidly obese. Diet changes alone often fail to produce desired weight loss results, and exercise can be difficult for those who are particularly heavy.

Bariatric surgery may be the ideal weight loss solution for individuals who are obese. At Tijuana Bariatrics, we offer various bariatric surgery procedures. One popular technique among our Tijuana, Mexico, patients is LAP-BAND®. LAP-BAND limit’s the stomach’s capacity, which encourages weight loss. Here, we discuss the numerous LAP-BAND benefits that make this the preferred treatment for many of our weight loss surgery patients.

Minimally Invasive Technique

LAP-BAND surgery is performed laparoscopically, which makes it a minimally invasive surgical technique. During the procedure, the doctor makes a few small incisions along the abdomen. A laparoscope is inserted through these incisions. The laparoscope is a thin surgical instrument with a camera attached. The camera takes images that are projected onto a screen in the surgical suite.

The camera allows the surgeon to view the surgical site and place the gastric band without making large incisions that are more difficult to heal. Once the gastric band has been placed along the upper stomach, it is inflated to create a stomach pouch of the desired size. Because LAP-BAND surgery is minimally invasive, the procedure is shorter than other bariatric surgeries. Most LAP-BAND procedures are complete in under an hour.

Shorter Recovery

Because LAP-BAND surgery is minimally invasive, it has a shorter recovery period than any other bariatric technique. On average, patients are only in the hospital for one or two days following LAP-BAND surgery, as opposed to two to four days for most other bariatric procedures. Once patients are at home, recovery should go pretty quickly. Many of our Tijuana patients feel well enough to return to work within a week of their procedure, and are considered fully recovered just a couple of weeks after surgery.

Minimal Risk of Complications

Another benefit of this minimally invasive technique is a lower risk of surgical complications. Since surgical incisions are small, they tend to heal quickly and are unlikely to become infected. In addition, the LAP-BAND technique does not permanently alter the stomach or make changes to the digestive system. Because of this, the body continues to absorb nutrients as normal, so complications like dumping syndrome and nutrient deficiency (which may develop after other bariatric procedures) are unlikely after LAP-BAND surgery.

Adjustable System

LAP-BAND is the only bariatric technique that is completely adjustable. The gastric band is inflated based on each of our Tijuana patient’s unique needs. We are not only able to customize the initial LAP-BAND procedure, but can also make adjustments later on. If a patient is not achieving the weight loss results they desire, the lap band can be tightened. Similarly, if a patient has achieved their weight loss goals and is maintaining good diet and exercise habits, they can have the gastric band loosened or completely removed.

Contact Us

If you are struggling to get rid of excess weight and regain control of your health, you may be an ideal candidate for bariatric surgery. To learn more about LAP-BAND surgery and the other weight loss procedures offered at Tijuana Bariatrics, send us a message online at your earliest convenience.