Lap Band Lifestyle Changes

​If you are considering getting Lap Band surgery to help you in your efforts to lose weight, it's important to remember that this type of surgery requires a commitment to a significant lifestyle change. By making these changes and sticking with them, however, Lap Band surgery could change or even save your life.

What is a Lap Band?

A Lap Band, which is short for laparoscopic band, is a device that is placed on the upper part of the stomach to create a pouch. This pouch fills quickly and helps the person control the amount of food that is eaten, limiting the amount of calories consumed. Over time, the size of the Lap Band can be adjusted, making the surgery options more flexible than gastric bypass.

Necessary Changes

Often people think of bariatric surgery, including Lap Band, as a panacea that will solve their weight loss problems once and for all. It's important for potential patients to understand that a significant lifestyle change is required for the surgery to work. While the surgery makes it easier to stick with the lifestyle change, ultimately the change is still the patient's responsibility.

Some of the changes required by the Lap Band include a commitment to regular exercise and healthy eating habits. Unlike gastric bypass surgery, eating sweets and fried foods are unlikely to cause an adverse reaction, meaning the patient must show dedication. Overeating can cause the Lap Band to become loose, creating a bigger pouch in the stomach. While the Band can be adjusted, this opens the way for more overeating and weight gain.

Patient Success

Patients who follow the recommended guidelines and work closely with their doctors can achieve dramatic results, with some losing 50 percent or more of their pre-surgery body weight. While results vary, a deep commitment to lifestyle change gives patients the very best chance of success with the Lap Band.