Before
Lap-Band Surgery Before
After
Lap-Band Surgery After

This major surgery reduces the stomach size of an obese patient to bring about weight loss. Food bypasses part of the small intestine resulting in feeling fuller more quickly which reduces the amount of food and calories consumed.

There are two methods for this procedure, open surgery where the surgeon will make a large surgical cut in your abdomen and will then do the bypass directly, or laparoscopy which uses a camera to assist in the procedure.

There are two basic steps with each of these methods. The first involves the surgeon dividing the stomach, either with bands or staples and creating a small upper section and a larger bottom section. The top section is called the pouch and is where the eaten food will go. The second step involves the actual bypass. The surgeon will connect a part of your small intestine to a hole in your pouch. Because food will now bypass the larger bottom section of your stomach and the first part of your small intestine, fewer calories will be absorbed. The actual surgery takes about 4 hours.

Recovery time: Recovery in hospital is usually from 3-5 days. Dietary recovery can take up to 12 weeks while you slowly move from a liquid to a regular diet. Minor symptoms of recovery can last up to 6 months.