So what are the requirements for lap band surgery?

• Your body mass index (BMI) has to be above 40. It can be as low as 35 if there are obesity-related health conditions.

• You must weight twice what you should weigh. You can also be around 100 pounds overweight. There are some doctors who will perform the procedure if an individual is 50 pounds overweight, but this must be approached with caution.

• You have to be older than 18 but no older than 60. The only time that there is an exception to this rule is if there is a health issue that exists that would be improved if the surgery were performed.

• Your weight problem must have existed for at least 5 years. If you have been overweight for 4 years, then you do not qualify. You may be asked to submit some sort of proof such as a photograph that is 5 years old. This is rare, but be prepared.

• You’ve tried diet and exercise but have been unable to take off the weight. Simply doing a diet for a week is not going to qualify as trying. You must have made a serious effort to lose weight and not had any success with it.

• Your weight problem cannot be caused by a health condition. This is because there are risks associated with certain health conditions. There is also the fact that the surgery could be ineffective or be effective and the weight comes back.

• You can’t be a person who drinks a lot of alcohol. Alcohol doesn’t have to be completely eliminated, but the doctor will limit the amount and will more or less limit you to red wine.

• You have to be willing to make a commitment to do everything that is required of you to ensure the weight comes off and stays off. This means eating the diet you are told to eat and exercising on a regular basis.

• You must be willing to be monitored by your doctor. This means sticking with your regular appointments. This is something you must agree to before the surgery is ever performed.

So there you have the requirements behind getting lap band surgery. If you meet these requirements, then you can have the surgery. If you don’t meet them, you cannot have the surgery.

If you cannot, simply look at those things that you can change. If the things that are keeping you from having the surgery are fixable, fix them. Now this doesn’t mean gaining another 50 pounds so that you can have the surgery. This means being willing to make lifestyle changes, being willing to see your doctor on a regular basis, and limiting alcohol consumption.

If you’re not 18, have been obese for 4 ½ years, or there is another issue standing in your way, that’s when you play the waiting game. But in the meantime, try to do what you can to take the weight off. If it still doesn’t come off, then lap band surgery is a great option for you.

What does the Lap Band consist of?
The first, and main part of the Lap band procedure involves an adjustable band made from silicone. A surgeon will affix the silicone band in position around the upper part of the stomach and once the band is in properly in place the new cavity created to hold the food consumed will be much smaller. This reduces cravings and the feeling of hunger allowing for a patient to comfortably eat less and lose a great quantity of weight.
Silicone is a very safe material and is used in a very wide variety of items in both medicine and personal hygiene. Many different types of soap, shampoos, conditioners and other hair care products are made with silicone as are many types of bandages, other types of wound dressings and the majority of breast implants. Silicone has incredible durability and very little, if any, association with negative impacts when used on the inside or outside of the body.
The second piece of the lap band puzzle involves a small plastic tube that runs from just under the patient’s skin to a connection on the silicone band around the stomach. Through this small tube, a doctor can inject or remove saline from the band, either tightening it or loosening it as necessary for each individual patient as they go through the process of weight loss.

Potential Side Effects and Complications

There is actually very little chance of a person having any complications what so ever from the material in which the lap band is made from. Of course a person can develop an allergy to almost anything, but allergies to silicone are very rare so in most cases patients will be safe as far as the material used is concerned.
Common side effects to the procedure can include nausea and vomiting and cramping, which may be solved by simply adjusting the level of tightness in the band.
As with any surgery, minor as it may be, there is a risk of bleeding at the sight of incision and a potential for infection but this is a very minor risk.
If a problem does occur, the procedure is easily reversible and virtually all of the complications that result are easily treated. The instances of death occurring as a result of complications from an adjustable lap band procedure are less than one in two thousand, which makes this a relatively safe procedure when all things are considered.
Having any type of weight loss surgery is a very big decision. A potential weight loss surgery patient needs to fully examine all of the possible positive and negative impacts that the procedure may have on their lives before making a final decision. A successful lap band procedure can be responsible for a dramatic change in a person’s weight – though the numbers can vary greatly a person who decides to undergo this procedure for weight loss can expect to lose, in the neighborhood of forty percent of their bodyweight or more

Lap band surgery is becoming a more and more popular choice for people considering any surgical option for weight loss, not just because of it’s incredible potential for success but because of the piece of mind that comes with having the least invasive procedure possible consisting of materials that are very safe to the patient. Knowing that the risk of complications is very small makes a potential patient much more willing to undergo the procedure to get the results.