Gastric Sleeve Vs. Lap Band
With today's technology, a wide variety of treatments exist for those looking to lose a significant amount of weight. More and more patients are turning to operations such as gastric band surgery or the more recent gastric sleeve surgery.
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Types
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One of the most common weight loss operations is gastric-band surgery, also known as lap band surgery. Gastric sleeve surgery, which was first used in 2002, is also growing in popularity but is mainly used as a preliminary surgery for patients deemed too unhealthy for other bariatric surgeries, with a second operation, usually a gastric bypass, to follow.
Function
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Gastric sleeve surgery involves the removal of 60 percent of the stomach, resulting in a sleeve-like appearance. Gastric band surgery connects a balloon to a band around the upper section of the stomach. When the balloon inflates, the band tightens, restricting the amount of food that reaches the stomach.
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Cost
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Gastric band surgery typically costs anywhere from $14,000 to $18,000, while gastric sleeve surgeries are around $10,000 each.
Risks
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Gastric band surgery comes with several potential problems, such as the band moving or slipping after the surgery, requiring a follow-up procedure. Dangers involved with the gastric sleeve procedure include bleeding, pneumonia or infection.
Considerations
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Gastric sleeve surgery is likely to result in about 40 to 60 percent of excess weight being lost in the first two years, and up to 50-80 percent if gastric bypass surgery follows. Lap band surgery typically results in about a 40 to 50 percent excess weight lost.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Adrian Boliston
