Lap Assisted Gastric Band

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is surgery that decreases the size of the stomach and limits the amount of food the stomach can hold.  

Adjustable gastric banding takes place through several small incisions in the stomach. The physician will place small surgical tools and a camera through the incisions and wrap a device around the upper part of the stomach to form a ring. Attached to the ring is a thin tube leading to an access port that is left under the skin; the site where the physician puts in a needle to add or take away saline to allow for adjustments.  

After surgery, weight loss is usually gradual but steady, and you will most likely lose weight for up to two years. Some, however, will continue to lose for four to five years after surgery. It is recommended that you have regular visits after surgery with your physician so the band can be adjusted as needed.  

Surgical weight loss is a tool, not a quick fix. It is important that you eat right, exercise, and consult with your physician, who may recommend you work with a dietitian to plan for appropriate amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals in your daily meals. 

Since the adjustable gastric banding procedure does not require cutting or stapling of the stomach, it is less invasive than other common procedures. Studies have shown that people lose weight as successfully with adjustable gastric banding as they do with other weight loss methods or surgeries. 

Although adjustable gastric banding is considered the least invasive of the weight loss surgeries, problems can occur and include 

• Band slippage (the band can slip out of place causing symptoms of stomach pain or heartburn)  
• Obstruction (the band can cause something, usually food, to block the opening from the upper part of the stomach to the lower part of the stomach, causing pain, nausea, and vomiting) 

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