The LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System, which is performed frequently at Atlanta Medical Center, involves placing a silicone elastomer band around the upper part of the stomach to create a small pouch that holds limited amounts of food. When accompanied by dietary and lifestyle changes, the LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System may promote life long weight loss.

Advantages of the LAP-BAND procedure include:
1.  Minimally invasive, adjustable and        reversible
2.  Requires no cutting or stapling of         the stomach
3.  Quicker recovery -- patients may          resume normal activities within one       to two weeks

To be considered for the LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System, you need to meet the following criteria:

1.  Be at least 18 years old
2.  Be at least 100 pounds or                     more overweight
3.  Have been overweight for at                 least  five years
4.  Made serious attempts to                      lower weight that have had                     little or no success
5.  Not suffering from any other                  disease which could have                     affected your weight
6.  Be prepared to make                            substantial dietary and                           lifestyle changes
7.  Not drink alcohol in excess.


There are several options for weight loss surgery. Among them is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure that is frequently performed at Atlanta Medical Center. Gastric bypass is designed to reduce the amount of food you are able to eat. It is a permanent procedure that changes the structure of the stomach, helping patients achieve and maintain their weight loss goal.

When performed using the "open" approach, an incision is made in the abdomen extending from just below the sternum to an open area slightly below the umbilicus or belly button. A stapling device is then used to create a tiny stomach pouch by partitioning the stomach near its upper end. The "laparoscopic" approach follows the same guidelines internally, however this surgery is done using five small keyhole-sized incisions. A camera is inserted in one of the incisions, which aids the surgeon for guidance, and several small instruments are inserted into the other incisions to perform the surgery.

Gastric bypass surgery offers many potential benefits. Typically, patients experience a shorter recovery and less scarring with laparoscopic surgery than with traditional open surgery. However, laparoscopic surgery is not appropriate for every patient and, sometimes, surgeons do not know if they can perform the procedure laparoscopically until the surgery is underway. Various medical conditions may make laparoscopic surgery unsafe for certain patients.
LAP GASTRIC BYPASS
PEACHTREE SURGICAL & BARIATRICS
Gastric Bypass Video
Lap Band Video
ADJUSTABLE LAP BAND
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