Helpful Weight Loss Surgeries in New York

For many people, traditional methods of weight loss simply don’t work. Whether you lack the time, or can’t quite seem to get results with basic exercise, the weight just isn’t coming off. For people like this, weight loss surgeries represent an attractive, effective option to help lose those stubborn pounds.

The “elder” option for surgery is the LAP-BAND, or Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, has been performed since 1993. During clinical trials, the Lenox Hill hospital was used for clinical testing of the lap band in New York, making them one of the most experienced providers of the surgery. In 2001, the LAP BAND was approved for mass distribution by the FDA, and since then more than 300, 000 people have gotten the surgery. The LAP BAND works by placing a band around the stomach, which contains an inflatable balloon. The balloon is inflated with a saline solution, aka salt water, which constricts the stomach, reducing its size. As a result, patients feel full faster, causing them to eat less food, and lose weight. After 2-3 years, patients averaged losing between 60 and 68 percent of their excess body weight. The biggest advantage of a LAP BAND is that the band is adjustable; by adding or removing the saline solution, the stomach‘s size can be adjusted. In addition, the surgery is favored because the weight loss is gradual, decreasing the likelihood of gallstones and nutritional deficiencies, which can be brought on by rapid weight loss. Sadly, the surgery is not perfect; the band can become infected, or “slip”, requiring additional surgeries to readjust or replace it. The major complication rate for the procedure ranges between 3 and 10 percent. For some people, the complications are enough to justify skipping over a LAP BAND, but, fret not, for other New York based weight loss options exist.

The “Gold Standard” of weight loss is the gastric bypass surgery, or the Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. It takes place over several steps: firstly, the size of the stomach is surgically reduced by dividing it with gastric staples. Unlike the LAP BAND, this is not an adjustable surgery; however, don’t let that deter you, it is still extremely effective. After the stomach has been reduced in size, the small intestine is divided into two different sections, the Roux limb and the biliopancreatic limb. The Roux limb is rerouted and connected to the smaller portion of the stomach created by the first section of the surgery. The Roux en Y name for the surgery originates from the Y shape that the Roux intestine makes after it has been moved. The end result is that the stomach is smaller, and the patient eats significantly less. This procedure is preferred over others because it has a shorter recovery time, can help control diabetes, and has a 70-80 percent average for loss of excess body weight. No surgery is perfect, however, and there is a risk of vitamin and iron deficiencies. Thankfully the risk of death from this procedure is less than one percent.

Regardless of which position you choose, weight loss surgeries are one of the best options for losing weight when traditional methods have failed.

For more helpful information, head on over to Minimally Invasive Weight Loss Surgery New York City.