How Lap-Band Helps with More Than Weight Loss
When people first seek out bariatric surgery, it’s usually because they’re looking to lose weight and have been unsuccessful with traditional diet and exercise. However, upon further research and consultation, they quickly learn that losing weight is just one of several benefits of bariatric surgeries like the Lap-Band® procedure.
Because people who are overweight and obese tend to be at a higher risk for serious diseases and chronic health conditions, losing weight can help relieve or even eliminate these issues. Bariatric surgery helps with more than just weight loss—it’s a step toward an overall healthier lifestyle.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by a person’s breathing repeatedly stopping and restarting during their rest. Not only does it compromise quality of sleep, but left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure and other heart problems. There are different types of sleep apnea, but obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common, occurring when an airway is narrowed or blocked entirely.
OSA is also more common in individuals who are overweight or obese. Excess fat in the neck area can obstruct airways and worsen sleep apnea, and excess abdominal fat can compress the chest, decreasing lung volume and airflow. If you suffer from OSA and are overweight, experts suggest that losing 10-15% of your weight can help. Bariatric surgery may improve your quality of sleep and decrease the severity of your sleep apnea-related symptoms.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition which affects the body’s ability to properly use insulin, resulting in irregular blood sugar levels that need to be controlled with insulin. If not addressed, type 2 diabetes can cause kidney damage, nerve damage, and an increased chance of heart disease or stroke.
Excess weight and type 2 diabetes are strongly linked. In fact, experts believe obesity accounts for at least 80% of a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
For those suffering from type 2 diabetes, bariatric surgery can help the body regain its ability to properly control blood sugar levels—possibly without the assistance of medication. Most individuals who have had bariatric surgery to help treat their type 2 diabetes have quickly noticed improvements in their symptoms, and years later, many have entered long-term remission.
High Blood Pressure
Your blood exerts force against your blood vessel walls as your heart pushes it through your body. When this force is consistently too high, your heart and blood vessels are forced to work harder—this is high blood pressure. Untreated high blood pressure can lead to a multitude of serious health problems, such as heart failure, kidney damage, a stroke or heart attack, and dementia.
Being obese is a huge risk factor for high blood pressure. By itself, being overweight forces the heart to work harder to pump blood, as excess fatty tissue increases the resistance of your blood vessels. There are medications that can help those with hypertension achieve a normal blood pressure, but weight loss surgery can help achieve the same goal. For every 20 pounds lost, your systolic blood pressure drops 5 to 20 points.
The benefits of bariatric surgery extend beyond just weight loss. If you suffer from a condition that may be relieved by bariatric surgery, you may qualify for the Lap-Band surgery. Safe, effective, and long lasting, the Lap-Band is adjustable gastric band that is placed around the upper portion of the stomach to help with portion control and weight loss. The surgery is minimally invasive, non-malabsorptive, and free of stapling or cutting.
Completely adjustable and reversible, the Lap-Band may be the bariatric option that can help you take control of your health. Visit the Utah Lap-Band website to learn more about the conditions that may qualify you for Lap-Band surgery, or make an appointment with us today.