Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve or Lap Band Surgery?
When Is a Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve or Lap Band Surgery Performed?
If you are interested in losing weight, you are probably wondering which type of bariatric procedure is right for you and which one works the best. Each of the available procedures today, has its pluses and minuses and each are performed slightly differently. Let's take a look at how these procedures are performed so you know what to expect.
A gastric bypass surgery, is usually recommended to patients who are considered very obese. Unlike other forms of surgery, doctors tend to regard gastric bypass laparoscopic surgery as a measure of last resort, only to be employed when other methods of weight control have failed. This is the case, in part, because there are genuine risks of nutritional deficiency following the surgery if recommended changes to diet and lifestyle are not adhered to closely.
What is a gastric bypass or bariatric surgery?
The procedure involves using surgery to restrict the degree of food that an individual can eat at one time and often results in a weight loss of 70-80 percent of one’s baseline body weight.
What types of bariatric surgery procedures are there, and how do they work?
There are several kinds of weight loss surgery options:
• The procedure most commonly performed in the U.S. is called the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, in which the stomach pouch is made and the stomach is put back together in a Y configuration. It can be done “open” using a big incision or “laparoscopic”, using multiple small incisions. The Gastric Sleeve Surgery, is a way of helping people lose weight when they are too heavy for a Gastric Bypass or the Lap Band procedure. It involves going inside the body with a laparoscope and removing sixty percent of the curvature of the stomach, making the stomach look like a sleeve or a tube. Few nutrients are absorbed by the smaller stomach and the and the individual gradually loses weight - enough so doctors can go in later and perform a gastric bypass or the duodenal switch surgery. In many ways, the gastric sleeve surgery is an interim measure to help very obese individuals lose weight to the point where a more definitive surgery can be performed.
• The next is the Lap Band Surgery procedure in which a band is placed around the stomach and is inflated to allow only a small amount of food to get through the stomach at the time. It is often done laparoscopically. The Lap Band surgery procedure, is also performed using the laparoscope. Some people like the Lap Band procedure because it is completely reversible when the weight is lost and doesn't involve the use of staples or sutures. The surgeon goes in and inserts a doughnut shaped vinyl and plastic device around the upper portion of the stomach. The device is then inflated with saline so that the middle "circle" or the part that the food goes through constricts the stomach in such a way as to become a sphincter of sorts, allowing the upper pouch of the stomach to act as the entire stomach, leaving the lower part of the stomach with nothing to do - separated from the upper region of the stomach by the constricting doughnut. The doctor can go in periodically, to let more saline in or out of the doughnut as needed to allow the person to lose as much weight as possible.
• In the Gastric Bypass Laparoscopic Surgery procedure, the bariatric surgeon can use a laparoscope, in which small puncture wounds are placed on the body and a camera is introduced so that the procedure can be performed without opening the abdomen completely up. In some situations, the doctor may decide however, that a large abdomen incision needs to be made. It really depends on your weight and the number of previous surgeries you've received on the abdomen. Once inside, the doctor stitches across the upper portion of the stomach to create a small upper pouch, which is then separated from the lower two-thirds or more of the stomach. The jejunum, or first part of the intestines, is attached to the upper pouch of the stomach, effectively creating a tiny stomach and an outlet through the jejunum. The lower part of the stomach does nothing.
You may be wondering if this kind of surgery is right for you. Here are three things that will tell you if you could be a candidate for this kind of surgery:
1. A body mass index (BMI) of 33 or more units.
2. Or, you are about 100 pounds above normal weight for men and 80 pounds for most women.
3. You’ll need to have a clear understanding of the operation and the subsequent lifestyle changes you will need to make.
Is it really cheaper to receive lap band, gastric sleeve or gastric bypass surgery abroad in Mexico?
The cost of receiving either a gastric sleeve, lap band, gastric bypass or mini gastric bypass laparoscopic surgery abroad in a destination such as Mexico is much cheaper than in the U.S. and financing is available. While many facilities don’t list exact figures, the costs are generally half of what you’ll pay in the U.S., while receiving the exact care you’d receive locally. In Mexico, for example, you’ll save 70 percent over U.S. procedures. In Costa Rica, you’ll pay half the U.S. based cost.
Is it safe to have gastric sleeve, lap band or bariatric gastric bypass surgery abroad in Mexico?
If you are concerned about the thought of being treated abroad in countries such as Mexico, you needn’t be worried.
Here’s the truth about our affiliate hospitals and medical centers in Mexico:
• They are internationally accredited by the JCI* and top rated
• The specialist doctors we are affiliated with in Mexico are board certified, meaning they have had to pass rigorous examinations and extensive training.
• The equipment, prosthetics & technology used are of the highest standards and top quality. They are the same or better than you would get in your local hospital.
• The hospital medical staff and doctors in Mexico, offer first rate quality personal care and attention that will far exceed your expectations.
• Compared to what you will pay for the cost of surgery locally, it is significantly less expensive
* The JCI is an international accrediting body for medical facilities that has been approved by the International Society for Quality in Health Care. It also works in conjunction with the World Health Organization on issues of patient safety.
What regions can I have a gastric sleeve, lap band surgery in Mexico or bariatric gastric bypass surgery performed?
• You can stay close to the U.S. and have your gastric sleeve, lap band, mini gastric bypass laparoscopic surgery in Torreon Mexico. More and more individuals travel each year to Mexico to receive high-quality care and at much lower cost. There is at least one prestigious bariatric surgery center that has performed more than four thousand lap band surgeries and is close to San Diego. They work with a U.S-based aftercare program—an aftercare program specifically designed for U.S. patients who need advice and management after their procedure. Patients generally spend two nights at the hospital and three nights at a five star hotel nearby the hospital. There is also a Cancun-based hospital and obesity center that offers a four surgeon team and a five night stay at a five star hotel, located in Cancun, Mexico.
• Doctors in Argentina took place in inventing many of the aspects of the various kinds of gastric procedures and run state of the art institutions. The surgery, located in Buenos Aires, can involve the classic bariatric surgery, the lap band surgery, laparoscopic and bariatric mini gastric bypass procedures. There are Board Certified surgeons that have done thousands of procedures at low cost savings to you of 70 percent of the charges in the U.S. or in Europe.
• Costa Rica is a small country but with one of the best healthcare systems in Latin America. The low cost of the mini gastric bypass procedure is reasonably priced and many doctors speak excellent English and have studied in the U.S, Canada or Europe. The cost of a bariatric gastric bypass surgery procedure can be fifty percent less than the same procedure in the U.S, with the quality being equal. Costa Rica is an excellent location for sun, fine weather and medical tourism. The procedures are done at San Jose; which is a large city and the capitol city of Costa Rica. India as mentioned is also a high quality treatment destination.
You know, I’d love to lose that weight, but it seems like a lot of work to set up all of the details when deciding to travel for a gastric sleeve, mini gastric bypass or lap band surgery to Mexico!
We’ll take care of all of the details. As we understand more about you and your situation, we will send you a custom plan or package about the doctors, hospitals, your procedure and the lower cost. You'll be able to speak with your overseas doctors and staff that will be caring for you during your stay.
Everything will be arranged for you before you leave, including flights, passport, visa and hotel accommodation. You will be met at the airport by one of our English-speaking personal representatives. You will also be able to talk with us or ask any questions at any time you need to and we'll stay in touch throughout your procedure abroad and even after you return to your home.
If you are considering to receive a high quality low cost gastric sleeve, lap band or a mini gastric bypass surgery in Mexico, we would be happy to provide you with a free quote. All you need to do is click below.
