LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery is a restrictive procedure that dramatically reduces a patient’s desire and ability to overeat. During LAP-BAND® System surgery at his Pleasanton practice, serving residents of San Ramon and East Bay, Dat T. Nguyen, M.D., reduces the size of a patient’s stomach so the patient is only able to take in a very small amount of food at a time. Since LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery is less invasive than other bariatric procedures and involves no stapling or cutting of the stomach or intestines, this procedure is a good solution for patients who may not be suitable candidates for other weight loss surgery procedures. To learn more about LAP-BAND System surgery, click on the links below or contact our office in Pleasanton to schedule a consultation with Dr. Nguyen.
The LAP-BAND® System is comprised of a silicone ring that the doctor fastens around the patient’s stomach and an access port that is connected to the ring. By accessing this port, which is placed just under the patient’s skin, the doctor can add or remove saline to adjust the tightness of the band.
To perform LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery at his Pleasanton practice near San Ramon in the East Bay, Dr, Nguyen first makes several very small incisions in the patient’s abdomen. Through these small ports, he inserts laparoscopic surgical instruments and a tiny camera. The camera projects images from inside the patient’s body onto a monitor in the operating room, and Dr. Nguyen performs the procedure by watching it on the monitor. Once the instruments are in place, Dr. Nguyen will fasten the silicone band around the top of the patient’s stomach, near the esophagus. He will then inflate the band, restricting the amount of food that can pass into the digestive system.
Patients who undergo LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery at our East Bay facility usually see dramatic weight loss in the first few months after the procedure, and weight loss remains steady during the next few years.
Aside from the obvious health benefits of significant weight loss, the most unique benefit of LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery with Dr. Nguyen in Pleasanton is that it can be adjusted or even reversed relatively simply. Adjustments to the band’s tightness can be made by injecting or removing saline through the patient’s access port in a simple outpatient procedure. If patients feel as though they are not losing weight quickly enough, Dr. Nguyen can tighten the band, which allows even less food into the stomach. Likewise, if a patient is losing weight too quickly, or needs to take in more nutrients for other reasons such as an illness or pregnancy, the band can be loosened. Unlike other bariatric procedures, which are for the most part permanent, the LAP-BAND® System does not make any lasting changes to a patient’s anatomy, and most patients can have their gastric bands removed in a second laparoscopic procedure (though for some, open surgery may be necessary).
Patients who undergo LAP-BAND® System surgery at our facility near San Ramon may not lose weight as quickly as patients who undergo a malabsorptive procedure such as gastric bypass or Roux-en-Y. However, studies show that at the five year mark, patients who have had any type of bariatric surgery procedure experience comparable weight loss.
Because the stomach can stretch after too much food intake, patients who have undergone LAP-BAND®
System surgery run the risk of gradually overeating and enlarging their stomachs, effectively negating the effects of the procedure. For this reason, it is especially important that LAP-BAND®
System patients follow strict diet and exercise routines after weight loss surgery.
Other risks associated with LAP-BAND®
System surgery are rare and may include:
Dr. Nguyen performs all bariatric procedures, including LAP-BAND® System surgery laparoscopically at his center in Pleasanton. A laparoscopic approach to surgery means a lower risk of infection for patients, smaller incisions that create less scarring, and a reduced hospital stay and recovery period. This is especially beneficial for patients after weight loss surgery, as it enables them to begin their new, active lifestyles much sooner than they could with traditional, “open” bariatric surgery. If you would like to learn more about gastric bypass, Roux-en-Y bypass, or LAP-BAND® System surgery, contact our Pleasanton practice, serving San Ramon and East Bay residents with the latest in state-of-the art weight loss procedures.
Contact us for more information about LAP-BAND® System surgery at our practice in Pleasanton, serving San Ramon and East Bay.
Dat T. Nguyen, M.D., Inc.
5565 W. Las Positas Blvd. Ste. 360, Pleasanton, California 94588
Phone: (925) 460-3205
Fax: (925) 460-3795
Dr. Dat Tien Nguyen is a very personable and experienced colorectal and cancer surgeon....
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