Before deciding to proceed with Lapband surgery you should carefully consider each of the following questions:
1. Is your weight problem serious enough to warrant surgical intervention and a lifetime of restricted eating?
The Lapband is not an easy way to help you lose a few extra kilos. The manufacturers consider it to be a serious weight loss tool and recommend that it be used to help patients who are morbidly obese.
The manufacturers of the Lapband consider patients to be morbidly obese, and therefore appropriate candidates for surgery, when they:
- weigh at least twice their ideal weight;
- weigh at least 45 kilos more than their ideal weight; or
- have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 45 (BMI is equal to your weight divided by your height squared).
People with a BMI of 35 or under are not morbidly obese, but may still be considered appropriate candidates for surgery where tehy are suffering health problems or other serious problems related to their weight.
The final decision as to whether you are an appropriate candidate for surgery is one that is made between you and your surgeon. However, you should be aware that Lapband surgery is not easy and would be an extreme option for anyone who just wants to lose a small amount of weight for cosmetic reasons.
2. Do you have any serious unresolved issues relating to food and eating that could interfere with your ability to develop and maintain a sensible eating plan?
The success of the Lapband depends on your ability to establish a sensible eating plan and maintain that for the rest of your life.
Any unresolved issues relating to food or eating that you have prior to surgery will still exist after the operation and may interfere with your ability to maintain an effective eating regime. You are likely to enjoy more success with the band if you already have, or can develop, a healthy attitude to and relationship with food prior to surgery.
If you are suffering from an eating disorder, such as bulima or compulsive eating, or know that you consistently rely on food and use it inappropriately for purposes other than nutrition, you should address these issues BEFORE seriously considering Lapband surgery.
3. Do you have any serious psychological issues that could undermine your efforts to lose weight?
Patients must be able to commit themselves to a new lifestyle and then be ready to cope with the changes associated with dramatic weight loss.
If you think you may have any psychological issues that could interfere with your ability either to commit to a new lifestyle or deal with the implications of a dramatic weight loss you would be advised to resolve these BEFORE seriously considering Lapband surgery.
4. Do you have realistic expectations about how the Lapband works and the weight loss you can expect?
The Lapband is an exciting new weight loss tool that has the potential to help you lose weight. However, you need to make sure that you are realistic about how it works and the results that you can expect.
The Lapband is NOT a magic solution. Your excess weight will not magically disappear after surgery. You will be responsible for making sensible food choices and undertaking a regular exercise programme in order to achieve a substantial weight loss. You will have to do this in spite of the same issues and time pressures that may have made this difficult to do in the past. All the Lapband does is help patients by reducing hunger and the amount that can be consumed throughout the day.
Patients should understand that they may not lose ALL of their excess weight. Some patients do not respond as well to the Lapband and lose little or no weight as a result. Of the Lapbanders that do respond well to the Lapband the majority can expect to lose between 50 to 75 percent of their excess weight. Only a very small percentage of Lapband patients ever reach their "ideal" weight.
5. Are you ready to commit to the lifetime of sensible eating and exercise necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the band?
The Lapband requires patients to dedicate themselves to a new pattern of eating and exercise for substantial weight loss.
The commitment to new patterns is a lifetime one. Unlike diets, which you can choose to break at any time, you will have to deal with the restrictions of the band for the rest of your life.
Before deciding to proceed with Lapband surgery you need to be sure that you are ready to commit yourself to investigating, developing and maintaining sensible eating and exercise habits.
