Lap Band Surgery

Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery in Florida’s Gulf Coast

The LAP-BAND System is a surgical procedure that helps very overweight people in Fort Myers and Naples, Florida lose excess body weight, improve weight-related health conditions, and enhance their quality of life.

Unlike other weight loss surgery procedures, the LAP-BAND System procedure does not require stomach cutting or stapling or re-routing of the gastrointestinal tract to bypass normal digestion. The procedure involves implanting a silicone ring containing an inflatable cuff (known as a gastric band) around the upper portion of the stomach during a minimally invasive surgical procedure. Once the gastric band is in place, it can be adjusted to restrict the amount of food a patient can eat.

The goal of the LAP-BAND System is to create a new, smaller stomach pouch that can hold only a tiny amount of food, reducing the stomach’s food storage area. The gastric band also controls the stoma (stomach outlet) between the newly created, smaller upper stomach pouch and the lower part of the stomach. The smaller the stomach, the quicker people feel full, and the slower food moves between the upper and lower portions of the stomach during digestion. As a result, people feel less hungry, eat less, and lose weight.

What to expect from LAP-BAND Surgery

LAP-BAND generally results in a 50 percent loss of excess weight within the first 18 months following surgery*. These results vary depending on your starting weight, the amount of exercise you do and how closely you follow the diet that Dr. Bass and the bariatric support team provide for you. Many patients treated by Dr. BassĀ in Naples and Fort Myers, Florida are very successful in meeting their weight loss goals after the Lap Band procedure.

Gulf Coast Bariatrics also offers REALIZE band surgery, another form of gastric band surgery that encourages weight loss by restricting stomach capacity. As with other forms of weight loss surgery, following gastric banding surgery you can also expect a dramatic improvement in weight related health problems as you lose weight.
*Richardson WS, Plaisance AM, Periou L, Buquoi J, Tillery D. Long-term Management of Patients After Weight Loss Surgery. The Ochsner Journal. 2009;9(3):154-159.