The Lap Band System uses a Lap Band which is an adjustable gastric band that is actually a silicone belt that is placed around the top of the stomach. Lap Band surgery is one in which this band is placed dividing the stomach into two parts with the upper part forming a pouch which is connected to the lower part of the stomach through a narrow passage. It's a weight loss surgery but unlike gastric bypass surgery it is temporary whereas gastric bypass surgery is permanent and requires much more of a lifestyle change. You can lose belly fat and other body fat with this procedure.

During Lap Band surgery, a bag filled with fluid is placed around the stomach, reducing its size and decreasing the amount of food it can take in. This breakthrough is the least invasive of any form of bariatric or weight loss surgery. And Lap Band surgery is a much simpler surgery than the better known gastric bypass surgery. For gastric bypass, of which there are two types (Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass and biliopancreatic diversion bypass), the weight loss surgeon not only reduces the size of the stomach, but also creates a bypass around the stomach and also a part of the intestine in this more complicated procedure.

It's been around for about ten years, but it didn't get approval from the FDA until 2001. While gastric bypass is still the more well-known option for weight loss surgery, there has been increasing interest in the Lap Band and it's becoming a much preferred procedure. According to some studies done BioEnterics for the FDA, the band can create side effects such as nausea and vomiting, heartburn and sometimes abdominal pain. Sometimes patients need another surgery to correct a problem with it. But, the Lap Band surgery procedure is preferred over the other permanent surgeries and is the least traumatic. It is the only adjustable and completely reversible obesity surgery in the United States today.

The surgery takes less than an hour and does require an overnight stay in the hospital. The patient's stomach isn't stapled. And the small intestine isn't cut and rerouted as it is in gastric bypass surgery. The banding procedure also eliminates the 'dumping syndrome', which is the sick feeling that is associated with eating sweets or drinking alcoholic beverages after gastric bypass surgery.

Lap Band surgery typically costs thousands of dollars less than gastric bypass surgeries do. And people often travel to Mexico or other countries if they don't have health insurance. Both surgeries improve or eliminate diabetes, high blood pressure and other illnesses or symptoms associated with obesity.

Gastric bypass surgery forces patients to lose weight rapidly though malabsorption of important key nutrients, but the Lap Band can be customized to fit individual weight loss needs and goals. Lap Band surgery has helped many patients lose weight successfully and who have been good candidates for it.

You can go online and visit blogs, forums and personal websites of people who have undergone lap band surgery to learn more about experiences. You might find you identify with them and their stories will help you decide if you're a good candidate and are moving in the right direction.

Considering whether to undergo Lap Band surgery requires serious thought. It should only to be considered if morbid obesity is a major medical issue and nothing has worked. Make sure you understand the side effects and risks. Check your health insurance plan or provider and see if it is covered. Both gastric bypass and lap band surgery can provide significant health benefits through proven long-term weight loss. But many people do gain weight along the line so it is not a cure-all or a way to get around changing eating habits. Diets and eating habits must be changed for any weight loss surgery to work.