LAP-BAND vs. Gastric Bypass
What is a Gastric Bypass?
Currently, gastric bypass surgery is the most commonly performed type of weight loss surgery. About 150,000 gastric bypass surgeries are performed each year in the United States. In contrast to the lap-band procedure, the purpose of the gastric bypass is not only to reduce the size of the stomach, but also to inhibit the body's ability to absorb calories. In other words, gastric bypass is both a "restrictive" and a "malabsorptive" weight loss surgery. Conversely, lap-band only a restrictive procedure.
Normally, when you eat, the food passes through the stomach to the small intestine, where most nutrients are absorbed, and then into the large intestine. During the gastric bypass surgery, the weight loss surgeon cuts out part of the gastric bypass patient's stomach and connects the part that is left to the middle part of the small intestine. This way, after surgery, patients feel full faster and absorb fewer calories from what they eat.
Because gastric bypass requires cutting and stapling of the digestive tract, the surgery can't be performed on an outpatient basis. In order to undergo the surgery, patients need to be admitted to the hospital and stay there up to three days after surgery. Moreover, complete recovery may take up to three months.
Studies increasingly show that despite the popularity of gastric bypass, complications and risks resulting from this surgery are even more serious - and occurring at higher rates - than initially thought. And with mortality rates as high as 2% for the gastric bypass procedure, prospective patients must consider their treatment options carefully. Furthermore, the long-term consequences of cutting the stomach and permanently altering the digestive tract, as is done during gastric bypass surgery, are still not fully understood.
LAP-BAND vs. Gastric Bypass Surgery
The adjustable gastric band is safer, far less invasive, and as effective as gastric bypass in fighting the excess weight. The potential risks and complications associated with the procedure are minor in comparison to any other form of bariatric surgery. With the lap-band, as opposed to gastric bypass, doctors don't cut or staple your digestive tract. As a result, the procedure takes much less time and can be performed on an outpatient basis. This means that after lap-band surgery you'll be recovering in the comfort of your own home instead of the hospital. In addition, post-surgical recovery time for lap-band patients is faster than for those undergoing gastric bypass – six weeks compared to three months.
- No cutting or stapling of the stomach. No removal of part of the stomach or intestinal rerouting.
- Can be adjusted without additional surgery dursing an office visit. Adjustments can customize rate of weight loss.
- The lap-band can be removed with the stomach usually returning to its normal shape.
- Slower rate of weight loss initially. After three to five years weight loss is comparable to gastric bypass.
- Low risk of nutrient deficiencies.
- No risk of dumping syndrome
- Mortality Rate: 0.05%1
- Total Complications: 9%2
- Major Complications: 0.2%2
- Cutting and stapling of the stomach. Removal of a portion of the stomach. Rerouting of the intestine.
- Not adjustable. To adjust to improve weight loss additional surgery is required.
- Cannot be reversed.
- Rapid weight loss. Weight can be regained over time.
- Increased risk for anemia, osteoporosis and other medical conditions.
- Risk of dumping syndrome. Symptoms include cramps, nausea and a rapid heartbeat.
- Mortality Rate: .5% (ten times higher)1
- Total Complications: 23%2
- Major Complications: 2%2
The risks to your health, and your life, are significantly lower with the lap-band than with gastric bypass. Since the lap-band is a purely restrictive procedure (reducing the size of the stomach without altering the digestive tract), you will avoid the vitamin and mineral deficiencies and "dumping syndrome" associated with most other forms of obesity surgery, including gastric bypass.Your natural digestive processes remain fundamentally unchanged; lap-band patients simply feel full faster and, subsequently, eat less. Compared to gastric bypass, diet requirements of the lap band are not quite as restrictive, because the body's ability to absorb nutrients is not affected; however, even with the lap-band, you do still need to ensure that you are eating a balanced diet not too rich in calories and abundant in nutrients.
Of course, as with any medical procedure, there are some potential risks associated with the lap-band. Though infrequent, lap-band risks include problems with placement, movement of the band, and infection or leakage of the band or port. In addition, some patients experience more post-operative gastric symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, than others. There also is the possibility that you may not lose weight, or that you may even gain weight, or that very rapid weight loss could cause health problems. But even these potential complications occur at dramatically lower rates than with gastric bypass.
Furthermore, one of the major advantages of the lap-band is that it is fully adjustable and reversible. While it is intended to be a long-term or permanent solution, if any of these complications become serious or life-threatening, the band can be completely removed or replaced. Moreover, your band can be fully deflated for any reason, such as illness or pregnancy, when your body may need larger portions of food. In other words, without any additional surgery you can bring your stomach to the pre-surgical shape at any point in time. For patients who experience severe problems with gastric bypass, reversal is not impossible, but is difficult and carries high risks and a long recovery. For further details about the potential risks and complications associated with lap-band surgery, see the manufacturer's Website or download The LAP-BAND® System Patient Book (Adobe Acrobat Reader required). If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free.
Watch the Dangers of Gastric Bypass Video
Talk to LAP-BAND Surgeons in Chicago!
At DayOne Health, we believe that the significant weight loss you need can be achieved in a much safer way than with a gastric bypass surgery. We offer you the lap-band – a more manageable and healthier way of shedding the excess weight. Sign up for a free consultation with our lap-band surgical team or view our online seminar to learn more.
- Chapman A, et al. Systematic review of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding for the treatment of obesity: update and re-appraisal. Executive summary. ASERNIP-S Report No. 31. Second edition. Adelaide, South Australia: ASERNIP-S, June 2002
- Parikh MS, et al. Objective Comparison of Complications Resulting from Laparoscopic Bariatric Procedures. J Am Coll Surg. 2006; 202:252-261.
