Gastric Band Surgery (Lap Band Surgery) Or – LGCP (Gastric Wrap Surgery)
Fully Inclusive Package – Price £4,990*
We rarely advise patients to have Gastric Bands now, unless no other surgery is clinically possible – here are the reasons:
- The failure rate, both mechanical failure and in terms of weight loss is too high, See our Blog article on US trends away from Banding since 2011
- Of all the Bariatric procedures available the band is probably the most difficult for a patient to learn to live with. Eating techniques are harder to learn and the band must gradually be adjusted, sometimes over several months, before the patient gets to feel good restriction and full benefit
- Problems associated with “over-restriction” (bands being too tight) can be potentially very dangerous.
Patients often research Gastric Banding first because it is the most well-known Bariatric procedure, Generally, though, the relatively new Greater Curvature Plication the so-called “Gastric Wrap”, is much more effective as a weight loss tool, and has many advantages over the Band – so why would you consider a Band when you can have the Wrap?
Like the Band it is:
- Potentially reversible (though again like the band reversing the procedure becomes much more difficult for the surgeon the longer after it has been done)
- Involves no cutting of the stomach tissue or rearrangement of the digestive system
- Has a quick recovery time
- Restricts your ability to consume large portions
Better than the Band because:
- Better weight loss (similar to bypass or sleeve – 3 yr studies show
- Weight loss starts from Day 1 – get off to a flying start
- No “mechanical” device inside you to go wrong – no worries about slippage, erosion or port failure
- No Adjustment needed – no “band fills”, no waiting to get to the point of best restriction
- No food getting stuck in the pouch, no “regurgitation”
- Much easier to live with – less “learning of techniques” required
- An ideal “revision” procedure for patients whose bands have failed
The LGCP or Gastric Wrap is a reltively new procedure, but now there are published 3 year scientific studies of the statistical results of patients who have had this procedure which show it is a very safe procedure with weight loss results significantly better than band, much closer to Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy.
Dr Cierny is one of the few surgeons in Europe and UK who routinely performs this operation, and has done so for 3 years now, though in the last 12 months many more surgeons have started to do this surgery. We first started to bring UK patients to him for this particular procedure in January 2011, and he has carried out a great many successful “Wrap” surgeries, before and since then.
We still feel the Gastric band to be a useful procedure for weight loss in circumstances where other alternatives are not possible,
Click here for technical information on the Gastric Wrap, and to read extracts from the scientific studies.
Click here for technical information on the Gastric Band
And remember, if you choose us for surgery you get:
GUARANTEED UNBEATABLE VALUE FOR ALL WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY – Everything below is included in your package price – NO ONE ELSE WILL OFFER YOU THIS!
COME WITH US AND YOUR SURGERY WILL BE SAFER
- You will stay in a Major Hospital for 4 full days for your surgery. Other providers in UK and abroad send you home or to a hotel after 24 hours – sometimes the same day! – so there is little chance to check you are properly recovered and everything is OK
- You will have more tests pre-op – to make sure Surgery goes ahead without problems. Others just give you a blood test and an ECG.
- We cover costs if you have to stay longer, and need ICU Care or a Re-Operation. Others don’t give this, and you could be faced with £thousands in extra bills!
- We ACCOMPANY YOU when you come with us for surgery – no one else comes to the hospital and stays with you the whole time you are there.
- FULL AFTERCARE Support, advice and complete back-up from us for at least 2 years – including your band fills if you had the band (3 x fills at one of 10 centres across the UK & Eire) – All this is INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKAGE – as well as air fares, hotel, transport etc. etc.
The three main questions you need to ask when researching all weight loss surgery are:
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What procedure will work best for me?
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Will I be safe when I have the surgery?
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Will surgery work for me and help me lose weight?
What procedure should I have?
- We make sure you are properly prepared in the weeks before surgery so that you come for your operation in a healthy condition, so you play your part in ensuring surgery can go ahead as safely as it possibly can.
- Our patients all have basic blood tests done in the UK and then a full programme of medical tests in hospital the day before surgery to make absolutely sure the surgery can be performed safely.
- Most clinics and hospitals offering Bariatric surgery in UK and abroad just give you basic blood tests and an ECG – this is not enough!
- You will stay in our hospital for three full days after your surgery so the team can monitor you properly and make sure you are safe and fully recovered to go home. In many UK and Belgian hospitals/clinics you are discharged within 24 hours of your operation – we believe this is not safe, and doesn’t give you time to recover properly.
- Your surgeon, Dr Michal Cierny PhD.is a renowned and very experienced bariatric surgeon. The standard of medical care and support you will receive from Dr Cierny, his team of experts and from us is on a par with the very best-anywhere in the world.Our hospital is in the process of becoming an International Centre of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery.
Will it Work?
There’s no point in spending a lot of money to have weight loss surgery if you don’t lose weight as a result.
To be able and prepared to make the adjustments needed in your relationship with food and eating is vital to success. Weight Loss Surgery - whichever procedure you have is not a magic wand, and to succeed you must be willing to make a real commitment to change. We will help you plan to succeed. We give you a detailed programme to follow to enable you to lose weight effectively after your surgery, and we monitor your progress.
We prepare all our patients before surgery so that they understand how it works to help them to lose weight. Your surgery is only the start of the process. After surgery you will need support and regular and frequent contact from us to make sure your weight loss is on track. This “training” is just as important as the surgery itself.
We will support, advise and monitor you for as long as you need us (at least two whole years) and you can contact us at any time for extra help and advice. We encourage you to keep contact with our other patients who are making the same journey as you. It has been well proven that our patients succeed in long-term sustained weight loss when they make full use of the support we offer.
When you talk to us you will get straightforward answers and advice from a person who has been there and had weight loss surgery themselves. We do understand that you may be considering surgery as a solution to your obesity problem because all previous attempts at weight loss have failed, and we will work hard with you to make sure you succeed this time.
What extra costs are there?
- NONE – WE ARRANGE AND PAY FOR EVERYTHING FOR YOU*
- We do not recommend bringing relatives or friends when you come for weight loss surgery, because you will be staying in the hospital throughout your visit until the time you fly home. Breclav is 45 minutes from Brno and the hospital is approx 1 km from the town centre. Visiting is only permitted after the day of surgery and visiting times are strictly limited to between 3 pm and 5 pm. We can advise relatives of train times and how best to get to the hospital when they arrive in Brno, although the focus of all our attention will (quite rightly) be on you as the patient.
What is the right procedure for me?
Whatever procedure you have, the surgery is only the first step, and if you are to succeed long-term with your weight loss you must understand that surgery is not a magic wand or a miracle cure. It is a tool to allow you to lose weight easily and keep it off – how well you use this tool is up to you! If you are determined to make the most of it, with our help you will succeed, but you need to make full use of the support we give, and you need to be fully ready in your own mind before you have the surgery for the changes it will bring.
Talk to us – We will explain all the surgical options to you and help you decide if surgery is right for you, and if it is, which surgery will work best for you, given your history and needs.
We believe you would be most likely to benefit from the gastric wrap or band if:
- You have a BMI of 40 and above (or 35 with co morbidities i.e. other serious health problems associated with your weight* -see explanation below)
- You are at least 18 years old, and under 60.
- You have been overweight for more than 5 years.
- Your serious weight-loss attempts have had only short-term success.
- You are not suffering from any other diseases that may have caused your obesity.
- You wish for a procedure that can be reversed if necessary at a later date, and you are reluctant to have a more complex procedure which involves any cutting or removal of the stomach or intestinal tract.
- You are prepared to make and are psychologically ready to make substantial changes in your eating habits and lifestyle
- You are prepared to stay in touch with us and with Dr Cierny in the months after your procedure to provide feedback and report on your state of health and general well being, and to give us regular weight loss records. This is a very important part of your post-operative care.
If I am interested in this procedure what should I do next?
- Check your BMI here to see if you qualify for surgery
- Read all the technical information on Gastric Wrap here
- Read all the technical information on Gastric Band here
- Complete the on-line medical questionnaire here
- Read about how to prepare for surgery here
- Call us or e-mail us and ask questions if there is anything you are not sure about, or if you need further information
What we do next
- When we receive your medical questionnaire we will check through it and contact you if there are any questions we have for you. Please complete the form as carefully and as fully as possible, as it is the basis on which we assess your suitability for surgery.
- We will then send it to Dr Cierny for consultation, so he and his team can approve you for surgery.
- We will then call you with his decision (the process usually takes no longer than 2-3 days at most) and to go through everything with you to make sure you fully understand what is involved in preparing for surgery, what will happen when you come for surgery, and what we do and how we support you through the process and afterwards.
- We will then confirm everything we have discussed with you in writing, and give you contact details of other patients who have had their surgery with us, so you can talk to them.
- You have not committed yourself to any decision at this stage. When you contact us on receiving the written details you can decide if this is right for you, and we can go ahead on your instructions.
Package Price – extra costs
Patients who come within the definition of “High Risk” may be asked to pay a small extra charge to cover additional medication, tests and treatment at the hospital. Definitions of who falls into the category of High Risk patients, and the extra costs for the different levels of increased risk can be found here.
*Co-morbidities
Co-morbidities are medical conditions that exist in addition to obesity and are often a result of being overweight. Co-morbidities are a factor in determining a patient’s eligibility for bariatric surgery. (see Technical Information page for more detailed information)
Co-morbidities include:- Type II diabetes mellitus; Obstructive sleep apnoea; Hypertension; Dislipemia; High LDL/TG cholesterol levels; Venous stasis disease; Significant impairment in activities of daily living; Stress urinary incontinence; Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); Fertility problems; Obesity-related psychosocial stress; Sexual dysfunction; Degenerative joint disease; Chronic back pain; Osteoarthritis; Gallbladder disease; Asthma; Congestive heart failure; Anaemia; Menstrual irregularity; Carcinoma (breast, colon, uterine cancer).