Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding or LAGB is a weight loss surgery that provides a solution to the health challenges brought by severe or morbid obesity. Aside from helping people lose excess weight and sustain a healthier weight for a long time, laparoscopic gastric banding offers many benefits.
How is it performed?
Laparoscopic gastric banding is unlike gastric sleeve and gastric bypass surgery because it doesn’t involve removing a part of your stomach or reconnection of the small intestine. Like the other two, it promotes weight loss by creating a small stomach pouch. It is done by placing an adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach via laparoscopy, wherein the surgeon makes small incisions and inserts a small camera.
Squeezed by the band, the stomach’s upper part becomes a pouch where food will be held before getting digested. This limits the amount of food that it can hold so you will feel full faster. The advantage of LAGB over others is that it is reversible. The band can be adjusted to reduce the side effects or improve weight loss. Because it is minimally invasive, recovery time is also faster.
What are the benefits of LAGB apart from weight loss?
Lower the risk of obesity-related conditions – Patients who underwent bariatric surgery like laparoscopic gastric banding saw significant improvement in their overall health. Studies found that sustained weight loss through a bariatric procedure can decrease the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral heart disease as patients’ blood pressure and cholesterol levels return to normal. Other obese-related conditions that can be improved through LAGB are type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea.
Boost mental health – People with severe obesity often isolate themselves and get depressed due to their appearance. As patients start losing weight and getting slimmer, they can regain their confidence and boost their mental health.