How is the LAP-BAND® different from gastric bypass surgery?
The LAP-BAND® is a silicone band that is placed around the stomach, creating a small upper stomach pouch that prevents a patient from eating excessively. It is only a restrictive device (not a malabsorptive one), and can be adjusted and/or removed, if necessary. The procedure to place the band is done laparoscopically on an outpatient basis, so our patients go home the same day as surgery in most cases. Recovery is relatively quick – with patients returning to work and/or most normal activities within 4-5 days. It is currently the least invasive form of bariatric surgery, with a relatively low complication rate compared to alternate obesity surgeries. (Read more about the LAP-BAND® procedure) Gastric bypass surgery involves permanently changing the shape of the stomach by surgically reducing (cutting or stapling) its size to an egg-sized pouch, and then bypassing a portion of the digestive tract with the new smaller stomach. This type of surgery has both a restrictive and a malabsorpti
