Lap Band Obesity Surgery

Adjusting the LAP BAND System
One of the advantages of LAP BAND surgery is that the band can be adjusted to meet your specific weight loss needs. If the band is too tight, it can be loosened by taking out some of the fluid. If the band is too loose, your doctor can tighten it by injecting saline into the access port under your skin. This unique feature promotes a method of gradual weight loss that allows you to get the nutrients your body needs. Because the band can be adjusted to accommodate the increased nutritional needs of pregnancy, LAP BAND obesity surgery is a good choice for women who may want to have children after the procedure.

When you have this type of surgery, your doctors will initially leave the band empty or partially inflated to allow for healing to occur around the new band site. About four to six weeks after surgery, your doctor will want to make your first band adjustment. The adjustment is done with a special fine needle. Many LAP BAND obesity surgery patients say the adjustment feels like the pricking sensation you experience when giving blood.

LAP BAND adjustments are normally done in a hospital or a doctor's office with the necessary x-ray equipment to assist in locating the access port and evaluating your pouch and stoma size. To get the best results from LAP BAND surgery, you may need more than one adjustment. This is because the exact amount of fluid that is required to make the stoma the correct size is different for every patient.