Obesity as a medical condition can now be addressed through lap band surgery and a lap band diet following the surgery.

Lap Band Surgery -- The Basics

In lap band surgery an adjustable gastric band is placed on the top portion of the stomach. The procedure is considered easy and takes only a few hours.

A patient can go home immediately afterwards and can continue normal activities 3 to 4 days after surgery, except for one: eating. The patient undergoes several stages of dieting until the pouch formed during surgery is fully healed.

Lap Band Diet Phases

The lap band diet has three phases: (1) liquid diet phase, (2) puree diet phase and (3) regular diet phase. It takes four to six weeks before one can resume a daily eating routine. Patients are usually advised of the limited amounts of food they can take and what kinds of food they can have.

Liquid Diet

The liquid diet phase usually takes two weeks when the patient is first allowed to sip only clear liquids. This includes broths of chicken and beef, diluted fruit juices like apple juice and non-carbonated beverages.

A full liquid diet follows which includes cream soups, shakes, milk, yogurt and low-fat broths. Carbonated beverage should however be avoided because it causes bloating, gas and pain.

Pureed Diet

The pureed diet phase lasts for two weeks and includes foods - mostly high-protein - that can be pureed and chopped into small, fine pieces.

Regular Diet

On the fifth and sixth week after the surgery, small amounts of soft foods are added to the diet. The food list includes fruits and vegetables, low-fat proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Fibers, meats and breads are, however, still not allowed.

During the day, patients take their usual three meals, but do so only in small servings and with no other meals in between. Patients are advised to chew their food very slowly, stop eating when full and to drink enough fluids everyday.

Lap Band Surgery has several advantages and disadvantages.

One advantage of lap band surgery is that it is done through laparoscopic surgery and considered an outpatient procedure. The patient can immediately go home after the surgery.

It is not as painful as other other procedures and normal activities can resumed after 3 to 4 days of the surgery. It will, however, take more than 4 to 6 weeks before the patient can have regular meals.

Another advantage of lap band surgery is that it is considered to have a lower risk of infection. When the stomach is full, its contents do not leak into the other parts of the body, instead it is contained in a small pouch.

However, lap band surgery has its disadvantages too. It is not for everyone and there are strict age restrictions, that is, it can only be done for persons 8 years old and above but not more than 50 years old.

If you are considering having lap band surgery, be sure to read and understand the procedure including the lap band diet that you should follow very closely after a successful surgery. You should also learn about the consequences of having the surgery as once done, the surgery cannot be reversed.

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