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Post-surgical care six months after Lap-Band®

May 22, 2020

If you’re looking into the Lap-Band® Surgery, it’s important to know what to expect. That means understanding how your lifestyle will need to drastically change, what happens during the surgery, how long the recovery time is, and what the rest of your life will look like. Your life will look differently one month after Lap-Band, six months after Lap-Band, and 12 months after Lap-Band. Aftercare is necessary when you have the Lap-Band Surgery. You cannot simply have the procedure and forget about it and go back to poor eating habits. Not only will you have to drastically change the way you eat, but you will have to have the Lap-Band Gastric Band adjusted as you lose weight. 

It takes one month or more for your stomach structure to heal from surgery, so your stomach should be healed by the six-month mark. Your first adjustment typically takes place about four to six weeks after your initial surgery, though adjustments vary for each person. Around the 6-month mark, you may be ready for a second, or even third, adjustment. You don’t want to rush an adjustment; your specialist will help you decide if an adjustment is right for you. Typically, if you have no weight loss for more than three weeks, you have an increased appetite, or you feel hungry again less than four hours after a meal, it’s time to adjust the Lap-Band so that you can continue losing weight. You will want to continue to pay close attention to these signals that an adjustment is needed. Otherwise, you may notice yourself plateauing. 

The six months after your procedure are crucial. It may be a difficult transition as you adjust to eating differently, both because you will be eating healthier foods and consuming less. At six months, you may have lost a significant amount of weight, but that doesn’t mean you should stray from your healthy diet. To continue losing weight and to maintain weight loss, you will want to continue to follow your healthy lifestyle.  

Many factors contribute to the success of a Lap-Band Patient, but those that are committed to a lifelong change and take their aftercare seriously are more likely to experience success compared to those who don’t. 

Source: 

  • LAP-BAND Surgical Aid in the Treatment of Obesity: A Decision Guide for Adults

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Important Lap-Band® System Safety Information

The ReShape Lap-Band Systems are approved for adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or a BMI of at least 30 with health conditions related to obesity, who have not seen success with other weight loss methods, like supervised diet, exercise, and behavior modification programs. Choosing this surgery means committing to changes in eating habits for the long term.

The Lap-Band procedure is not approved for individuals under 18 yo, those with conditions that may make them poor surgical candidates or lead to poor results, such as inflammatory or cardiopulmonary diseases, problems with the stomach and digestion, symptoms or family history of autoimmune disease, scarring of the liver, individuals unable or unwilling to follow the necessary dietary restrictions, individuals with alcohol or drug addictions, or those currently pregnant. Individuals who become pregnant after band placement may require deflation of their bands.

The ReShape Lap-Band Systems, a long-term tool, may need to be adjusted if you get pregnant, sick, or malnourished. Be careful with anti-inflammatory drugs as they could make the band wear away. Like any surgery, placement of the Lap-Band may have complications such as risks from drugs and methods used, general surgery risks, how well your body handles a foreign object, or in rare cases, risk of death.

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with metabolic and bariatric surgery that you and your doctor should discuss. Potential risks associated with the Lap-Band include nausea, vomiting, heartburn, stomach blockage, constipation, swallowing difficulty, diarrhea, abnormal stools, abdominal pain, weakness, incision pain, infection, fever, hernia, chest pain, band movement, stomach pouch expansion, unusual healing, pain at the port site, port movement, and/or hair loss. Additional surgery might be needed. Losing weight quickly could lead to complications requiring more surgery. 

Talk to your doctor, and/or visit our website at www.lapband.com/safety/ for more information on its benefits and risks.

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