Lap Band Surgery – NYC

Quick Facts: Lap Band

  • Adjustable
  • Minimally invasive surgical procedure
  • Sometimes covered by insurance
  • Removable

Learn More About the Lap Band

Lap Band NYC: Adjustable, Customizable, and Successful

Perhaps the first thing to know about lap band surgery in NYC — or anywhere else for that matter — is that the procedure does not require any rerouting or stapling of the anatomy. There are a lot of different bariatric surgeries, so it’s easy to confuse one with another. But with a lap band, it’s important to keep in mind that it, too, is a minimally invasive procedure.

Here’s the broad overview of a lap band procedure: An adjustable band is placed around the upper part of the stomach. This creates a small pouch. Thin tubing connects the band to an access port below the skin.

Your surgeon adjusts the lap band through this port. This is done by inflating or deflating the inner balloon with saline. Naturally, as the band inflates, the stomach outlet will become smaller.

The result is a smaller stomach that limits the amount of food one can eat. The process also slows the digestion process, specifically the emptying of the contents of the pouch into the lower stomach.

This means patients who undergo lap band surgery in New York City will feel fuller sooner, stay feeling full and satisfied longer, and experience reduced hunger urges.

Another benefit: This surgery is reversible and the band itself is removable.

Lap band surgery is often recommended for obese patients who need to lose between 75 pounds and 100 pounds. Doctors will help determine what’s right for you, depending on health problems, body mass index (BMI), and long-term health care goals.

More Information about NYC Lap Band Procedures

There have been rudimentary versions of the lap band for several decades. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the most current iterations of the lap band, also known as gastric banding, in 2001.

At the moment, there are two bands available for surgeons in the United States: the LAP-BAND and the REALIZE band, which was approved by the FDA in 2007. Both bands are similarly effective at weight loss with only minor differences in their functioning.

Generic lap bands are known as laparoscopic adjustable gastric bands (LAGB). They perform the same function as the brand-name lap bands.

Now let’s get into a few more specifics about the lap band procedure itself. During surgery, a silicone band is placed around the upper portion of the stomach. It has an inflatable balloon that cinches around the stomach and allows patients to be less hungry and to eat less at each meal.

The band is inflated with saline using a needle that goes through the skin into the band port. The port is secured under the skin so that nothing is visible.

For most patients, the percent of excess weight loss at five years is usually between 50% and 55%. Follow-up care with the expert bariatric team at New York Minimally Invasive Surgery is critical to patient success.

This is true for all weight-loss surgeries but is especially important with the NYC lap band. This is because this surgery often requires adjustments the first year — and sometimes in the second year, as well.

Complications of a lap band procedure can include infection, bleeding, gastric prolapse or band slippage, and band/tubing problems. In rare cases, reoperation may be necessary to address some of these complications.

NYMIS NYC: Lap Band

At New York Minimally Invasive Surgery, we’re led by our founder, New York native Dr. Marina Kurian. Dr. Kurian is a top bariatric surgeon; you can rest assured that the likelihood of these complications is diminished when you are in her capable hands. In fact, the complication rate at NYMIS is less than the national average.

However, complications can arise. Every patient and every situation is different.

When we speak with you about potential weight-loss surgery in NYC, we will go over everything — health history, current weight, weight loss goals, etc. — to ensure that our team and our patients have all the information they need to decide on the best course of action.

New York lap-band patients can count on Dr. Kurian’s extensive experience; she has performed numerous adjustable gastric banding surgeries over the course of her career.

If you ever have any questions about New York Minimally Invasive Surgery, our procedures, or anything else, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here for you, and we’re happy to help.

In the meantime, look around our site and see what you find! To learn more about weight loss surgery and the lap band NYC procedure, click here to take our online seminar or to register for an in-person seminar.

More About a NYC Lap Band Surgery

Many thousands of patients have undergone lap band surgery; it is one of the more popular choices for people when it comes to weight-loss surgery. Patients like the fact that this is a very successful and minimally invasive procedure that usually only takes a couple of hours. A long hospital stay is usually not required. Patients usually recover from the surgery quickly and begin to lose weight.

As we repeatedly stress, though, no weight-loss surgery can be considered a success unless the patient achieves their weight-loss goals and is able to maintain a healthy weight. To that end, we stress to our patients the importance of post-op follow-up care.

During these after-surgery consultations, we emphasize the importance of proper diet and nutrition and regular exercise and/or physical activity. (We say both exercise and physical activity in order to encompass a wide range of beneficial movements.)

Patients should be cautious after their surgeries. Since the stomach is smaller and food intake will be limited, post-op patients should pay close attention to their diet and eating habits. Too much food all at once could result in abdominal pain and vomiting.

Adjustable Lap Bands

Since every patient is different, the fact that these are adjustable lap bands can make all the difference from one person to the next. That’s why patients must return to our offices for an adjustment. Our team can then determine if the band needs to be increased or decreased based on the patient’s progress. The band can be emptied, too, if doctors determine the patient isn’t getting enough nutrients.

All in all, some patients return several times during the first year or so so as to adjust the band to the best size for that particular patient. It’s a process that requires much feedback from the patient and consultations with their surgeon.

The good news is that when the band reaches its optimal size, many patients won’t feel hungry for many hours after their last meals.

Another positive aspect of the lap band procedure is that it results in less scarring than some other surgeries. This is due to the fact that the procedure is performed using a minimally invasive approach.

Lap Band NYC: Advantages

  • Allows for multiple weight loss options
  • Minimally invasive
  • Less scarring
  • Fast recovery time
  • No need to reroute the small intestines
  • Low risks
  • Minimal side effects

After your surgery, you will be advised as to proper nutrition and diet. You will need to consume smaller but more frequent meals. Furthermore, you will have to start out with an all-liquid diet, slowly working your way to soft foods and then to solid meals.

It’s very important to avoid certain foods post-op, including sugary foods, processed snacks, fried foods, carbonated beverages, and foods with lots of butter and oil. Again, our team at New York Minimally Invasive Surgery will advise and encourage you through this process. We’ll be sure you’re eating right and getting enough protein, vitamins and minerals.

Finally, we all know the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight. The list of obesity-related conditions that may be improved or avoided after a lap band procedure is long indeed. It includes:

  • Sleep apnea
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Stroke
  • Infertility
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • High Cholesterol

Dr. Kurian has performed many lap band surgeries in NYC. Get in touch with one of our conveniently located offices today to get started on your own journey to health, wellness, and wellbeing.

We can discuss lapb bands and other metabolic and bariatric surgery procedures. These can include sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve), gastric bypass, and more.

We look forward to meeting you!