Weight Loss Surgery Options: Gastric Sleeve vs. Lap-Band

If you are considering bariatric surgery, you may be wondering what your options are, and what the differences are between those options. How do you know which option is best for you?

One way to lose weight through bariatric surgery is by limiting or restricting the amount of food a patient can eat by reducing the size of the stomach. Cernero Surgery offers two weight loss surgery options to accomplish this: Sleeve Gastrectomy (or Gastric Sleeve) and LAP-BAND®.

The surgery that is best for you may be different than what is best for another person and depends on your specific health needs and lifestyle. This is a decision you should make after an in-person consultation with your weight loss surgeon.

LAP-BAND®

LAP-BAND® surgery restricts the amount of food you can consume. It is a small, inflatable belt placed around the upper portion of the stomach that functions to limit the capacity of the stomach, slowing how quickly food empties from the stomach, and providing a constant sensation of feeling “full.”

The Lap-Band® Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band is the only FDA-approved adjustable and reversible weight loss procedure offered in the United States. Depending on the patient’s needs, the LAP-BAND® can be made tighter or looser. The procedure does not require any cutting, stapling, or rerouting of the intestines and is considered a lower risk surgery than Gastric Sleeve.

The average LAP-BAND® patient loses 36 to 40 percent of his or her excess weight in one year, and can expect to lose an average of 60 to 65 percent in three to five years.

Gastric Sleeve

Also known as the Sleeve Gastrectomy, like the LAP-BAND®, this procedure also reduces the stomach volume. Gastric Sleeve involves a permanent resection of approximately 75 percent of the stomach, causing a decrease in hunger hormones. Decreased hunger hormones, along with the reduced stomach capacity results in weight loss.

In an analysis of clinical studies involving Gastric Sleeve, patients reported that they achieved an average of 55 percent excess weight loss. Another clinical study of Gastric Sleeve reported significant improvements in obesity-related health conditions including Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obstructive sleep apnea.

If you are considering weight loss surgery and would like to learn more about these procedures, or to find out which procedure is best for you, contact the weight loss surgeons at Cernero Surgery & Aesthetics to schedule an appointment.

*All information subject to change. Images may contain models. Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary.

Posted in: Bariatric Surgery