Lap-Band surgery is a type of weight loss surgery that, like gastric bypass, alters the anatomy of the stomach to help you reduce food intake.

"Lap-Band System" is the brand name of the FDA-approved, adjustable gastric band used in the procedure. Most simply, a Lap-Band is a silicone belt that goes around the top of the stomach. This results in the ability to control your hunger and achieve a "feeling of fullness," or satiety. Ultimately, you eat much less and should feel full sooner.

A key component of the Lap-Band System is its adjustability. The band is connected to a port, which enables the device to be inflated over time to expedite the weight loss.

After performing a series of small incisions, your surgeon would use a small camera, called a laparoscope, to visualize placement of the Lap-Band. The Lap-Band is placed around the top of the stomach and secured in place with sutures. The port is then placed underneath the skin on the top part of the abdomen. Surgery should take only about an hour, and an overnight stay in the hospital may or may not be required.

Injecting saline into the port inflates the band, making the passage to the lower part of the stomach smaller, which further restricts food intake. Fluid can easily be removed in the doctor's office if it is too tight.

Following surgery, you should be able to return to work within a week, with minimal discomfort. You will need to follow a nutrition plan (which may include vitamin supplements) prescribed by your surgeon and/or nutritionist. The nutrition plan will likely include a liquid diet for a few weeks, until you can tolerate soft foods, and later solid foods. A specific exercise program, as well as behavioral-modification therapy, may also be recommended.

Frequent Hospital visits are mandatory to adjust the band. Your surgeon or his assistant will be able to inject the port in the office. On average, patients require six to eight adjustments of the band during the first 18 months following Lap-Band surgery.

Patients typically lose 50% to 60% of their excess body weight within two years after the procedure. Additional plastic surgery may be indicated, depending on how much weight is lost.