Gastric Band Surgery
Written by: Dr Kristie McNealy
Gastric banding is the least invasive type of weight loss surgery. It involves placing a band around the stomach, making it smaller, so you feel full faster. There are two major types of gastric banding procedures: laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, and vertical band gastroplasty.
In laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, an adjustable silicone band with an inflatable collar is placed around the top portion of the stomach. A plastic tube runs from the silicone band to a port placed under the skin of the abdomen. The port can be used to add or remove saline from the band, making it tighter or looser as needed. Adjustable gastric banding is considered to be the safest type of weight loss surgery, and it is completely reversible, if necessary. People can lose up to 40% of their excess body weight with this procedure.
The three most commonly used adjustable gastric bands are the LAP-Band, MidBand and the Swedish Band.
Vertical band gastroplasty involves placing a band vertically around the stomach, as well as stapling the stomach to make it smaller. The surgery is more complicated and riskier than adjustable gastric banding, so very few bariatric surgeons still use this technique.
What to Expect As a Gastric Banding Patient
Before Gastric Band Surgery
Your initial consultation for gastric banding will assess your weight and health, and previous weight loss attempts to see if you are a candidate for weight loss surgery. Your surgeon will discuss any alternative procedures or weight loss techniques, and explain the risks and benefits of gastric banding. Usually, psychological and nutritional counseling will then be required to determine whether you are mentally prepared to make the permanent lifestyle changes to make your surgery a success, and to jump start your weight loss.
If you smoke, you'll be advised to quit before surgery to help improve your recovery and reduce the risk of complications. You may also be asked to stop taking certain medications that could cause problems like excess bleeding.
The Gastric Band Procedure
The day of your surgery, a doctor or nurse will check your blood pressure and examine you to make sure you are health enough for surgery. You may need blood or urine tests as well. Once you are ready for surgery, you will be taken to the operating theater, and the anesthesiologist will give you medicine to put you to sleep.
The gastric band procedure takes between 30 and 60 minutes. It is performed laparoscopically through several small incisions. First your surgeon will fill your abdomen with gas, to allow them space to see and work. A small camera inserted through one incision allows the doctor to see as they place the band around your stomach and secure it. The port used to fill the band is then inserted in the skin. Once your incisions are closed, the anesthesiologist will wake you up, and you'll be moved to recovery.
After Gastric Band Surgery
After surgery your belly will be swollen and sore, and you will be given medication to control any pain. You may also have pain in your shoulder, due to the gas that is used to expand the abdomen during laparoscopic surgery. You'll need to stay off work for about a week, and it will be several weeks before you'll be able to return to your normal activities.
After gastric banding surgery, you'll start out on a clear liquid diet. From there, you'll progress to Thicker foods, until you are able to tolerate solids. About 8 weeks after your surgery, you'll need to return to the clinic to have your band filled. At this point, you'll have to maintain a liquid diet again for a few days so your stomach can adjust. In the long term, you'll need to maintain a healthy diet, with small, frequent meals.
You'll need to make visits to your doctor to monitor your weight loss, and check the function of your band. Fluid will be inserted or removed through your port as needed to maintain weight loss and prevent side effects.
You can expect to lose around 50-60% of your excess weight with a gastric band. After massive weight loss, you can expect to have excess skin left on your body. Body contouring plastic surgery can help remove and tighten sagging skin when your weight loss is complete.
Risks of Gastric Band Surgery
Aside from common surgical risks like bleeding and infection, the risks of gastric banding surgery are much less than those seen in gastric bypass surgery. Risks specific to gastric band placement include:
- nausea or vomiting
- problems with the port
- slipping of the band
- dumping syndrome
Because there is no alteration made to the intestines, nutritional deficiencies are much less common in gastric banding than in gastric bypass.
___________________________________________________________________________
More about cosmetic surgery
