Lap Band vs. Gastric Sleeve

If you’re notably overweight or obese, you may have discussed bariatric surgery with your primary care doctor. Bariatric surgery can help you lose weight fast and alleviate or eliminate a number of health issues like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, depression and even some types of cancer.

Lap band and gastric sleeve are two of the most common types of bariatric surgery. Each can help you lose a significant amount of weight, so you can feel more confident and improve your overall health and quality of life.

Lap band vs. gastric sleeve surgery

When you undergo a lap band surgery, also known as laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery, your surgeon will cinch the upper portion of your stomach with a small, inflatable band. The band is made of silicone that can be tightened by adding saline through an external port. This creates a new, smaller stomach pouch at the top and a larger stomach pouch below. This helps restrict the amount of food you can consume and controls digestion. Common complications include obstruction, band slippage, esophageal dilation and poor nutrition.

While a lap band procedure may be a better option for some, gastric sleeve surgery is generally the better, more permanent option. During gastric sleeve surgery between 70-80 percent of the stomach is completely removed, resulting in a sleeve or banana-shaped stomach tube.

Surgically removing a portion of the stomach significantly reduces the body’s level of a hormone called ghrelin, commonly referred to as the hunger hormone. As a result, people are very likely to feel much less hungry. Ghrelin also plays a role in blood sugar metabolism, so people with type II diabetes often notice an immediate decrease in their need for diabetes medications (particularly oral medications) following a gastric sleeve surgery.

Benefits of gastric sleeve surgery

If you’re comparing lap band vs. gastric sleeve surgery, there are a few things to consider. Sleeve gastrectomy is the most popular, minimally invasive bariatric surgery in the world. It is performed to help you lose excess weight fast and lower your risk of potentially life-threatening weight-related health issues. Here are just some of the benefits:

• Stimulates more significant weight loss than comparative weight loss surgeries, like lap band.
• Results in an average of 60-70 percent loss of excess weight.
• Treats or even leads to the remission of diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, gout and osteoarthritis.
• Does not require a bypass or re-routing of the food stream.

If you or a loved one is tired of diets that don’t work and would like to learn more about sleeve gastrectomy, contact the offices of Dr. Wiljon Beltre for a free consultation. Dr. Beltre is a board-certified bariatric surgeon with over 20 years of experience helping individuals who are significantly overweight achieve real, effective weight loss and improve their overall health and well-being through bariatric surgery.

The entire team at Beltre Bariatrics looks forward to helping you start your weight loss journey. Call 321-499-6505 today and get ready to take back your life.