If you are considering weight loss surgery, Lap Band surgery may be an option for you. There are many reputable Lap Band clinics in Toronto, but before you make an appointment, make sure to do your research. Below are a few things to consider if you are thinking about undergoing Lap Band surgery for weight loss.

Cost

Lap Band surgery in Toronto and other parts of Canada can be very costly. You’ll have to research the different Lap Band clinics to find out specific information related to cost. In many cases, medical insurance will not cover the cost of bariatric surgery. Consider whether you’re willing to finance your own surgery through loans or credit cards should it be necessary.

Eligibility

Many different factors are considered by doctors in determining whether you are eligible for Lap Band surgery or not. In order to qualify for surgery, you must be between the ages of 18 and 55, and at least 100 pounds overweight. Alternatively, you may have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between 35 and 40+ or (or a BMI of 35 with significant co’morbidity). You must be in reasonably good health and you must report any current or past medical problems. Patients with severe and permanent medical conditions are considered ineligible for bariatric surgery.

In order to determine if you are a candidate for Lap Band surgery several exams are required prior to scheduling surgery. Required tests include: EKG, Upper G.I. Series, Gallbladder Ultrasound, Chest X’Ray, Blood & Urine Analysis.

Risks

As with any type of major surgery, there are general risks associated with undergoing a major procedure. These risks can be worse for overweight patients.
Most of the common complications associated with lap band surgery will take place after the surgery. Most patients will experience one type of complication or other in the weeks and months following lap band surgery.

Common Complications
- Nausea & Vomiting: 50% of patients
- Regurgitation/Gastro Esophageal reflux: 1/3 of patients
- Slippage of the band: 1/4 of patients
- Blockage in the passage between the two sections of the stomach: 1 in 7 pages
- Difficulty in swallowing (dysphasia), constipation and diarrhea

More Serious Complications
- Erosion of the band into the stomach
- Twisting or leakage of the access port

Rare Complications
- Inflammation of the stomach (gastritis) – less than 1%
- Migration of the stomach above the diaphragm (hiatal hernia)
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Dehydration
- Abdominal pain
- Gas/flatulence
- Chest pain
- Infection

Commitment
Though the surgery can technically be reversed by removing the Lap Band, you must remember that Lap Band surgery is considered a lifelong commitment that is intended to help keep the weight off. With that being said, living with the lap band will require a total lifestyle change. Some of the changes you can expect include the following:

- You’ll have to learn new eating habits. While you are learning these new eating habits you can expect vomiting to occur.
- For up to three days following surgery, you will only be allowed to consume clear liquids in small amounts.
- Solid foods will be allowed only after clear liquids and soft foods are kept down.
- Progression to solid foods is slow and varies from one patient to another. Initially, one starts with 8 teaspoons of food, which must be eaten slowly. You must stop eating as soon as you start to feel full or you may vomit.

Average Weight Loss

It is difficult to estimate how much weight you will lose monthly or annually following Lap Band surgery, especially since results vary for everyone depending on your age, height, metabolism, level of activity, etcetera. However, patients who follow the new eating patterns carefully and exercise daily can hope to lose more than 30 kilos (or 65 pounds) in the first year.

Conclusion

If after considering all these factors you still think Lap Band surgery may be for you, the next step is to talk to a doctor about your situation. Research Lap Band clinics in Toronto and make an appointment to discuss surgery with a specialist.

By: Amy Nutt

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Ben l asked:


I have no cash no job to pay for this lap band. Dose any one know of a group that can help me pay for this suguery ?

ciboclinic asked:

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.ciboclinic.com If you are concerned with your weight, losing weight using the adjustable gastric band can significantly improve your health and quality of life. A recent article (April 10, 2007) in the Canadian Medical Association Journal recommends bariatric or weight loss surgery as an acceptable option for people for whom all other conventional weight loss methods have failed. The adjustable gastric band can also help patients significantly resolve or improve certain health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension or other serious conditions. * 74% improvement in dyslipidemia * 94% resolution of obstructive sleep apnea * 55% resolution of hypertension * 100% improvement in asthma * 75% resolution of diabetes * 79% resolution of reflux (Source: Fielding G, Ren C, Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band. Surg Clin N Am 2005;85:129-40) Adjustable gastric banding is a minimally invasive surgical option for the treatment of obesity, designed to induce weight loss by limiting food consumption. In our opinion, it is simply the best way to lose weight without hunger. There are several options when it comes to surgical weight loss procedures. However the safest is the adjustable gastric band procedure. Not only is it the safest surgical procedure for weight loss but it can also offer sustainable results by reducing the amount of food your stomach can hold. What makes the adjustable gastric band procedure unique …

MedicalTourismCo asked:

Lap Band Mexico experience of Marilyn from Raleigh, North Carolina. Lap Band Surgery in Mexico is about 50% more cheap than in the USA. Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Monterrey, Acuna, Reynosa, Cancun are some popular Mexico lap band surgery destinations. Mexico lap band surgeons have been performing this procedure for many years, even before it was available & approved by the FDA in the USA. Lap Band or Adjustable gastric band restricts the amount of food a person can take at a time, thus allowing healthy amount of diet consumption. Marilyn’s doctor suggested bariatric surgery as she had the Total Knee Replacement, and reducing her weight would help prolong the life of the knee operation. Marilyn has reduced her weight by about 70 pounds since her lap band surgery in Mexico about 5 months back. Fast & clear communication from Medical Tourism Corporation, Inamed certified proctor lap band surgeon like Dr. Lopez Corvala, top hospital, discount lap band, proximity of Mexico hospital were some of the reasons she considered the procedure overseas in Tijuana. The lap band package in Mexico also included special room to accommodate and additional guest. On returning hope Marilyn has already referred one of her friend to have the gastric band procedure in Mexico. The progress in the weight loss has resulted in she feeling energetic & feels good about herself. Obesity in the USA is causing a lot of people to consider Mexico, Costa Rica & India for weight loss surgery. Low Cost Lap Band …

Lap band weight loss surgery has been performed internationally since its introduction in the mid 1990s and, in many countries, it has now become very much the preferred method of weight loss surgery. It was not however licensed for use in the United States until June 2001 and it is only now that sufficient statistics are becoming available to allow us to assess just how good a treatment it is for those seeking a solution to morbid obesity.

At this early stage the lap band success rate is looking pretty good, which is excellent news for the 15 million Americans who are now classed as being severely obese. Weight loss achieved using lap band surgery compares favorably with other forms of surgery and there are also fewer complications, both during and after surgery, with those complications that do occur proving less serious than in other forms of weight loss surgery. Lap band success is also being seen in the terms of the reduction of associated (co-morbid) conditions such as type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and hypertension.

On average patients are spending less time in hospital with an overnight stay for lap band surgery compared to a stay of 2 to 3 days for laparoscopic Roux-en-Y surgery and 3 to 4 days for the open Roux-en-Y procedure. In addition, recovery time is much improved with lap band patients resuming their normal activities within about a week compared to 2 to 3 weeks for Roux-en-Y patients.

As a purely restrictive form of surgery, early post-operative weight loss for lap band patients is less dramatic than that seen in open or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y patients but is nonetheless still impressive with patients achieving similar weight loss in the longer term.

In one early study involving 271 US patients undergoing lap band surgery the average weight loss achieved 3 years after surgery was 47% of excess body weight, while a second US study of 63 patients showed an excess weight loss of 53%. Several studies involving larger groups of patients from both Italy and Australia over a similar 3 year period show excess weigh loss ranging from 49% to as high as 68%.

In most cases of weight loss surgery attention tends to be focused on weight loss when assessing just how successful a procedure is and it is easy to think that an operation which produces a 50% weight loss must be more successful than one that produces a 45% weight loss. In reality of course both can be equally successful as the true question is whether or not patients lose sufficient weight to meet their expectations and see an overall improvement in their general health, life expectancy and quality of life. Lap band success therefore needs to be measured in terms of the overall package of benefits that it delivers to its patients.

Of all the surgical options available today lap band surgery is the least invasive and involves the shortest period of hospitalization and fastest recovery. It is also the only adjustable form of surgery currently available and is the easiest form of surgery to reverse. Perhaps most importantly, it avoids many of the problems associated with stomach stapling and re-routing of the intestinal tract which makes it very much safer than other forms of weight loss surgery.

It is still early days of course and time will tell but, if early lap band success is anything to go by, it would seem safe to say that lap band weight loss surgery is set to follow the pattern seen internationally and it may well soon become the preferred option in the United States.

By: Donald Saunders

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applebetty34 asked:


Specifically, tell me about time until you totally recoved from the surgery, things you are satisfied with and things that you wish you knew before. Also, did anyone have to jump through a lot of insurance hoops? I’d like to hear about that, too. Thanks!
I am not talking about gastric bypass. I am talking about the gastric “lap band.” I’m also talking about significant amounts of weight…not just 40 or 50 pounds.

Rich P asked:


I was thinking about the lap band system and I was wondering if anyone out there has had it done and if its worth it.

S. Bailey asked:


I am thinking of having the lap band procedure done, as I am overweight. I was wondering how this particular company pays on this?

TopGirl asked:


Hi I was just wondering if anyone from the UK either has a gastric band in the UK or abroad?
Or is anyone thinking about having one?
Maybe private or maybe your on the waiting list for NHS?
Where do you get information and advice from?
Thanks in advance
x

softball_whitney_04 asked:


I am 21 and thinking about having the lap band surgery. I am very over weight and can’t seem to lose any of it no matter what I do. I am very active and have never been an over eater or eat alot of junk food. Like I said I’ve always been very active and have been over weight for most of my life. I don’t know if I should or if anyone has anyother ideas on how to get to a healthy weight. I am not looking to be a size 5 or whatever I’d just like to get to where I am healthy. I am 21 and in a size 26 pants…I need help! Any suggestions?