If obesity or extreme overweight has haunted you throughout the years, now there is a permanent solution that does not include the risks of gastric bypass surgery. It's called “adjustable gastric banding (AGB),” or gastric lap band, and rather than “bypassing” your stomach, leaving you permanently unable to obtain the nutrients your body needs from the foods that you eat, the lap band works by cinching the upper part of the stomach into a small pouch, so that if you're “banded,” you get full and satiated faster.

This much safer alternative to gastric bypass doesn't remove part of the stomach and intestines from the digestive loop; it also doesn't present the bypass's 1-in-200 chance of death. The lap band is adjustable, meaning that the surgeon can actually adjust the band to your specific weight loss goals. It is also removable, which means that you don't have to live with this solution for life -- it doesn't require the “lifelong commitment” needed for gastric bypass surgery.

About the Surgeon

One of the bariatric surgeons has been a practicing general surgeon for 28 years. He started doing the lap band surgery seven years ago and since then has completed over 900 successful surgeries. He considers this one of the safest bariatric procedures, minimally invasive and a much lower risk than gastric bypass surgery.

He explains, “Lap band surgery is done laparoscopically – through small incisions made in the belly button. 75% of gastric bypass surgery on the other hand requires open surgery – a much more invasive procedure. The lap band is adjustable. It can be filled or unfilled to adjust the amount of food you are eating. It also takes only a maximum of 48 hours to recuperate.”

“In comparison with gastric bypass surgery which can have a very high rate of mortality and morbidity, there have been no deaths from the lap band and complications are few and minor. The risk of death from gastric bypass is 1 in 200, plus the procedure can not be reversed. Unlike the lap band which is completely reversible, you have to be ready to live with gastric bypass for the rest of your life.”

Why have the procedure done in Mexico?

The most important criteria in selecting a surgeon for the lap band procedure is the amount of experience the surgeon has.

“The lap band procedure was approved in the United States only three years ago while it has been done successfully in Mexico for many years. You can't find a doctor in the U.S. who has completed over 900 successful surgeries. Many of the U.S. doctors are only getting started with this procedure.”

“It's important to realize that for the individual, this is not just surgery, this is a lifestyle change. Patients need to re-learn how to eat, how to chew, how to handle this change in their lives. An experienced surgeon has plenty of experience working with patients to make the necessary lifestyle changes and can ensure the best results.”

“There are several different bands used throughout the world. The one we use is the Inamed band. It is the only one approved by the FDA in the United States, so if you come to Mexico for surgery, you are not only getting the most experienced doctors, but the procedure is being done with the safest material available.”