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Surgical Solutions : Laparoscopic Gastric Band Surgery (Lap Band)
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Diabetics who have previously been on insulin should be managed carefully with a "sliding scale" protocol to avoid hypoglycemia. It is not unusual for a patient to drop from 90 units per day to 8 units on the first post-operative day and require no more anti-diabetic therapy after four days.
Even though the initial pouch is about 20 - 30 ml, or the size of a man's thumb, most patients can eat a half hamburger, several French fries, and drink a small soft drink at one time within about six months after the operation. Curiously, it is rare to encounter a patient who complains about not getting enough to eat.
Patients should resume regular exercise which is much easier to do once their weight drops 30-40 Kg. They should avoid fizzy drinks and minimize caffeine and cigarettes. The esophagus should be checked on a yearly basis with an X ray as the esophagus may widen or distend if the band is kept very tight for more than a year. Should that occur, relaxing the band for a few months will take care of the problem.
When you consider the possible complications of morbid obesity such as:
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Asthma
• Sleep apnea
• Osteoarthritis (Back, hip and knee pain)
• Stomach cancer
• Uterine cancer
• Colon cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Pulmonary Failure
• Immune suppression
• Reflux (heartburn)
• Stress incontinence
• Hernias
• Varicose veins
• Hemorrhoids
• Pulmonary embolism
• Non-alcoholic steatosis (liver scarring)
• Hypercoagulable states
• Increased accident rate
• Peripheral atherosclerosis
• Infertility and impotence
• Loss of the menstrual period
• Uterine bleeding
• Depression
• Gallbladder disease
• Skin infections
• Focal glomerulonephritis (kidney failure)
• Abnormal cholesterol
• Soft tissue infections
You would then understand that gastric banding, while it has some serious risks that can be minimized in the hands of good surgeons working with a good team, carries a lot less risk than staying obese, or worse continuing to gain weight.
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