Diet Surgery Showdown: Gastric Bypass versus Lap Band

Nowadays, many people turn to surgical weight loss alternatives to achieve the body weight they want. While dieting and exercising are still the recommended methods to maintain the healthy condition of the body, undergoing diet surgeries can be more convenient, especially for those who suffer from obesity and encounter difficulty shedding unwanted pounds.

Two of the most popular surgeries in the area of weight loss are gastric bypass surgery and laparoscopic adjustable gastric band or lap band surgery. The former is the more traditional approach to surgical weight loss, and was first introduced in 1954. The latter is a modern innovation of the procedure, and made its debut in the mid-1980s.

Tale of the Tape

Both treatments work by minimizing the capacity of the stomach to take in food. This curbs the appetite --often the primary concern of those suffering from obesity and other weight problems. In order for a patient to qualify for the surgeries, he or she must be 18 to 60 years of age with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 kg/m2. However, there are special cases when people with lower BMI are still considered for the procedures.

Round 1: Procedure

These diet surgeries create compartments in the stomach – the smaller upper compartment, and the bigger lower compartment. In Utah gastric bypass procedures and similar operations in other states, the small intestine is rerouted so that it is only connected to the smaller portion, which is where the food is stored before being digested. On the other hand, lap band surgeries use a silicone binding device to slow down the passage of food in the intestinal tract.

Round 2: Recovery

Utah lap band treatments and their counterparts in other areas are less invasive than gastric bypass operations. This makes it easier for lap band patients to fully recover; most are back to normal within six weeks of having surgery. Gastric bypass recipients, on the other hand, need three months to bounce back completely from the procedure.

Round 3: Effects and Maintenance

Those who have a Utah gastric bypass operation or an identical treatment somewhere else can expect to lose weight drastically within six months after the surgery. The effect of a lap band procedure is more gradual, offering as much as 50 percent weight loss in the first year, and 55 percent by the fifth year.