How does the LAP BAND System work? Your body gets energy from food while it passes through the alimentary canal. This consists of the mouth, the esophagus, the stomach, and the small and large intestines. Digestion starts in the mouth with chewing and the addition of saliva. After the food passes through the esophagus, this process continues in the stomach. The stomach then provides temporary storage for food. Gastric juices, which contain enzymes, break down the food. This way, energy can be carried through the body by the blood.
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The pouch above the band can hold only a small amount of food. The band also controls the stoma (stomach outlet) between the two parts of the stomach. The size of the opening between the two parts of the stomach controls the flow rate of the food from the upper to the lower part of the stomach. This lets you feel full sooner. The feeling also lasts longer.
To change the size of the stoma, the inner surface of the band can be adjusted by adding or removing saline. This process is called inflating or deflating. Saline is a salty solution like other fluids in your body.
The band is connected by a tube to a reservoir placed beneath the skin during surgery. Later, the surgeon can control the amount of saline in the band by piercing the reservoir through the skin with a fine needle. If the band is too loose and weight loss too small, adding more saline can reduce the size of the stoma. If the band is too tight, the surgeon will remove some saline. This too can be done without more surgery. Being able to adjust the band is a unique feature of the LAP-BAND System and is a normal part of the follow-up. If adjusting the band does not help you lose weight the way you and your doctor want it to, or if the band is still too tight, another surgery may be needed. The band position on the stomach can be changed or the size of the upper stomach pouch can be reduced.
