Panama Medical Vacations
Change the Course of Your Life with Gastric Band Surgery in Panama
Millions of individuals in the United States and around the world are overweight or obese (severely overweight). When weight increases to an extreme level, it is called morbid obesity. Obesity is associated with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, some types of cancer, and other medical problems. Bariatrics is the field of medicine that specializes in treating obesity. Gastric band surgery is the term for one type of operation to help promote weight loss. Gastric band surgical procedures are only considered for people with severe obesity and not for individuals with mild weight problems.
The Procedure
Gastric banding was only approved in the U.S. in 2001 this procedure has been used in Europe for a number of years. In this operation, a small band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch. As with stomach stapling, the small size of the pouch means that you feel full sooner. However, the band can be adjusted in size by inflating or deflating the band; this allows the health professional to adjust the size of the opening between the pouch and the stomach.
After your surgery
This surgery usually involves a 2 to 4 day hospital stay. Most people can return to their normal activities within 3 to 5 weeks. The long term post-op care consists largely of lifestyle changes. The patient will find it only possible to eat a few bites of food and will need to eat more times each day to compensate for the few calories consumed each meal. Follow-up visits to the patient’s family physician will follow periodically for the next year to monitor the patient’s progress.
Risks
The most common risk in all surgeries for weight loss is an infection in the incision. A secondary concern for gastric banding is overeating which can cause the band to expand, minimizing its effectiveness. About one-third of all people having surgery for obesity develop gallstones or a nutritional deficiency condition such as anemia or osteoporosis.