Welcome to the Bariatric Learning Center. We publish independent, unbiased news about the bariatric weight-loss surgery.
The theory behind the Lap Band procedure is pretty straightforward. It is designed to help patients lose weight by restricting their stomach capacity. It literally reduces the size of their stomach — the usable portion, anyway.
Think of a belt placed around your stomach and cinched tight. It would create two sections of the stomach. The upper portion would be much smaller, and you would therefore get a “full” feeling much sooner. You would eat less as a result of this restriction, and the weight loss would soon follow.
That is the theory of the Lab Band procedure. But a recent news story on an NBC News affiliate website challenges this theory. The article (and many others like it) gives a voice to Lap Band patients who have serious complaints about the procedure.
For example, this story quotes a former patient who did not lose any significant weight after her Lap Band procedure. Not only that, but she had serious problems with vomiting as well. “I vomited nearly every day for two years,” the woman said. “Two years later, I had never lost any weight.”
Of course, this is just one person’s story, and some patients do experience good results from the Lap Band procedure, in terms of weight loss. But you need to understand that there are two sides to every surgical procedure, and the Lap Band is no different. It helps some people, while it seems to harm others. This is not me talking. This is just the reality of the situation. Do a Google search for Lap Band complaints and you will see what I mean. If you are considering this type of procedure, you need to do plenty of research to get the full picture.
The NBC News story goes on to quote Dr. Wade Barker (a Dallas weight loss surgeon), who concedes that a certain number of patients do not respond to the Lap Band procedure. The bottom line is that it works for some, but not for all.
We have added this to our list of Lap Band failure stories. If you would like to learn about similar scenarios, please visit the failure stories section of our website.
