Connecticut LAP-BAND® System
The LAP-BAND procedure is one of several weight loss surgery procedures available today in Connecticut. Read below to find out about the LAP-BAND procedure.
LAP-BAND® Surgery in Connecticut
People use the name “lap band” for several similar gastric-banding systems, but LAP-BAND is actually a specific brand name, whose product has been approved by the FDA and made widely available since June 2001. There are competing, similar systems that are commonly called “lap band” products, but these should not be confused with the LAP-BAND System.
With the LAP-BAND procedure, a surgeon inserts an adjustable gastric banding system. This is a device placed around the stomach to “section it off,” creating a small pouch that fills with food much faster than the whole stomach would. After the LAP-BAND procedure, the patient therefore feels full quickly. The LAP-BAND procedure has helped more than a half-million patients in Connecticut, the United States and abroad.
The LAP-BAND procedure is minimally invasive, so the patient experiences less pain, fewer complications, smaller scars, and shorter recovery than more invasive or “open” weight loss surgery. It is a laparoscopic surgical procedure, so rather than opening the abdomen, the surgeon guides a very small camera in the surgery patient’s belly. Through other small incisions, the surgeon performs the LAP-BAND procedure, and the camera lets him see what he is doing.
This weight loss surgery usually leads to significant weight loss, but it also requires the patient to make important lifestyle changes. Nutrition and exercise are vital to the success of the LAP-BAND procedure.
LAP-BAND Surgery Costs in Connecticut
In many cases the LAP-BAND may be covered by health insurance. The staff at Ehrlich Bariatrics can help you submit a claim to your insurance and work toward your approval. Request a Free Insurance Evaluation or contact us for help with insurance. In some instances you may have to participate in a medically supervised weight loss program prior to approval.
If you are denied coverage and are unable to appeal, Ehrlich Bariatrics in Connecticut can help you secure financing. There are many factors that influence the cost of the LAP-BAND procedure for Connecticut patients. For example, whether you spend the night in the hospital afterward, and other factors can drive costs up or down.
The LAP-BAND procedure may seem like a significant investment — but obesity also carries a heavy cost. It has been estimated that healthcare costs for obese patients can be as much as 36 percent higher than for patients in a normal weight range. Medication can cost 77 percent as much, as well.
LAP-BAND Concerns
As with any bariatric surgery, the LAP-BAND procedure has risks. Complications with the LAP-BAND System generally occur less often than with other, more invasive, procedures. Complications related directly to the LAP-BAND include:
- Band Slippage. The stomach can slip up and through the band.
- Blocked Stoma. The opening between the upper and lower part of the stomach can become blocked.
- Stomach Erosion. Stomach tissue can erode where the band meets the stomach.
- Leakage. Although rare, the band or tubing can be punctured causing the fluid to lead out and the band to be ineffective.
In general these complications can be repaired with a simple outpatient surgery. Any of the following symptoms should be reported to your surgeon.
- Difficulty eating
- Not losing weight
- Nausea or vomiting
Connecticut LAP-BAND Surgeons
Connecticut patients have several dozen bariatric surgeons to choose from, in Connecticut and the surrounding areas. Ehrlich Bariatrics in Trumbull, founded in 2010 by Dr. Timothy Ehrlich is one of the most experienced in LAP-BAND surgery. Dr. Ehrlich is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (www.asmbs.org) and has served on The Council for Advancement in Bariatrics (CAB), a think tank of LAP-BAND surgeons nationally.
If you think LAP-BAND is right for you, contact us or register for a seminar today!
