What to Expect After LAP-BAND® System Surgery

Immediately after LAP-BAND® surgery, patients should be prepared for a period of rest and recovery as their bodies heal from surgery and acclimate to the LAP-BAND® System. This is an important time in the journey toward successful long-term weight loss, as patients establish the good habits that will help them lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. During this time, the support of family, friends, and others is a crucial part of success.

Recovering from LAP-BAND® System Surgery

After LAP-BAND® System surgery, most patients spend about 24 hours in the hospital. During this period, patients are able to rest and heal under close medical supervision to ensure that no serious post-surgical complications arise. Most gastric banding patients spend about a week at home resting and recovering after being discharged from the hospital. It is important to closely follow doctors' instructions during this recovery period in order to avoid unnecessary discomfort and complications. After about a week, most people feel able to return to some normal activities and even light exercise. Throughout the recovery process, it is important to stay well hydrated by drinking water regularly between meals.

Diet and Exercise Requirements after LAP-BAND® System Surgery

One of the most important elements of preparing for LAP-BAND® System surgery is planning a post-surgical diet and exercise regimen. For about two weeks after surgery, patients will be limited to an all-liquid diet. This diet allows the body to acclimate to the new stomach pouch while jumpstarting the weight loss process. Within a few weeks, surgeons may begin to recommend pureed or soft foods, and within six weeks it is usually safe to begin eating solid foods. However, many patients find that certain foods simply do not agree with them after surgery, causing heartburn and indigestion even in small amounts.

Exercise is just as important as diet in the days, weeks, and months after LAP-BAND® System surgery. Beginning as soon as possible, patients should engage in light walking. This is the best way to avoid complications such as blood clots that may arise during recovery, and it is an important step toward establishing healthy long-term habits. Before surgery, patients will have established an exercise plan with a fitness counselor. Though it can be especially challenging to follow this plan in the early days and weeks after surgery, exercise is central to effective weight loss.

Post-surgical Counseling and Support Groups

It can be challenging and emotionally draining to undergo the fundamental lifestyle changes required for LAP-BAND® System surgery. For this reason, many bariatric surgeons provide counseling and support groups to help patients stay motivated. Counselors specialize in helping patients confront depression and other challenges that may arise during the weight loss process, while support groups composed of other surgical weight loss patients are an invaluable source of empathy and support. Many patients say that they would not have been able to succeed without both counseling and support groups.

Complications after LAP-BAND® Surgery

Though some patients achieve successful weight loss with the LAP-BAND® System without experiencing any complications or side effects, it is normal for patients to experience at least some minor complications. Many of these complications can be resolved or mitigated through lifestyle changes or non-surgical adjustments to the LAP-BAND® System, and they are typically not life-threatening. Still, it is important to be aware of possible complications before choosing to undergo any weight loss procedure.

• Eating-related problems: The LAP-BAND® System drastically changes the size of the stomach. As a result, some patients experience problems with eating, including gastroesophageal reflux (regurgitation) and difficulty swallowing.
• Stomach irritation: Some LAP-BAND® System patients experience stomach problems, including ulceration, gastritis, and heartburn.
• Other complications: Occasionally, patients experience symptoms such as gas bloat, constipation, and dehydration that may be linked to the LAP-BAND® System.

Schedule an Appointment with a Bariatric Surgeon in Your Area

If you are interested in learning more about the LAP-BAND® System, use the DocShop health care provider database to locate a bariatric surgeon in your area who performs this procedure. A surgeon with experience performing gastric banding surgery can answer your questions and help you determine which weight loss procedure best suits your needs.