Los Angeles LAP-BAND Patients Experience Fewer Complications than Gastric Bypass

    SANTA BARBARA, CA, August 10, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- According to bariatric surgeon Dr. David Thoman of Advanced Surgical Associates of Santa Barbara (www.sbmis.com), individuals who choose a popular procedure for weight loss in Fresno called LAP-BAND generally report fewer complications and reduced downtime than individuals who undergo gastric bypass surgery. Dr. Thoman notes that although both procedures are effective for helping men and women lose weight safely, gastric bypass surgery is a more complex operation that carries risks not associated with the LAP-BAND.

"Multiple areas of the abdomen are involved during gastric bypass surgery, whereas with the LAP-BAND procedure, we are simply inserting a small band around the top of the stomach," Dr. Thoman explains. "Because the LAP-BAND in the Los Angeles area is less complex, the procedure can usually be performed on an outpatient basis, and patients generally enjoy a more comfortable recovery."

In addition to the difference in risks and recovery time, LAP-BAND and gastric bypass surgery vary in other ways. While both surgeries help to limit the amount of food that can be eaten in a single sitting, gastric bypass surgery also reduces the absorption of some nutrients, therefore typically resulting in more rapid weight loss than LAP-BAND (which usually produces slow and steady weight loss over 2 to 3 years). However, the reduced absorption caused by gastric bypass surgery can create nutritional deficiencies, whereas LAP-BAND carries no risk of malnutrition, according to Dr. Thoman. Additionally, for his patients in Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, Fresno, and other areas such as Los Angeles, LAP-BAND surgery is adjustable and can even be reversed at any time.

"There are advantages and drawbacks to both procedures," Dr. Thoman states. "Determining which procedure is most appropriate for a patient will depend on many personal factors, including the individual's current weight, surgical goals, and health. It is best to be evaluated by a board-certified surgeon to determine the appropriate procedure."

Dr. Thoman specializes in an advanced surgical technique for weight loss surgery known as the SILS approach. Unlike open surgery, the SILS technique is minimally-invasive and allows the surgeon to operate through a singular incision made in the belly-button. According to Dr. Thoman, the SILS approach can be used for both LAP-BAND and gastric bypass surgery patients.

"One of the primary benefits of the SILS approach in weight loss surgery is that it causes almost no scarring," Dr. Thoman explains. "Plus, the less-invasive techniques help speed recovery time and promote healing for many patients."

Dr. David S. Thoman (www.sbmis.com) is a board-certified surgeon in Santa Barbara, California, who specializes in minimally invasive and laparoscopic gastrointestinal and weight loss surgery. He is the first surgeon on the Central Coast to offer several procedures using the single-incision method, which results in less scarring and faster healing. Dr. Thoman earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery and the Associate Director of Surgical Education at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. He is also a member of several professional societies including the American Medical Association, American College of Surgeons, Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, American Society of Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, and Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgery.

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