Adjustable gastric band

Adjustable gastric banding is a form of weight loss surgery (bariatrics) designed for obesity patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater. It employs an inflatable silicone band which is implanted around the top portion of a person?s stomach via laproscopic surgery. The implanted device creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach which fills up quickly and restricts the movement of the food into the bottom part of the stomach. This restriction creates a feeling of fullness which helps the person to eat less and therefore lose weight. The band is adjustable via a subcutaneous access port. A saline solution can be injected into the band via this port to help to increase the feeling of restriction to a point known as the ?sweet spot? where optimal weight loss can be reached. The ability to adjust the restriction makes this a good choice for women who wish to become pregnant after losing weight. The band can be unfilled to allow for more food to be eaten as necessary for a healthy pregnancy.

Related Topics:
Bariatrics - Obesity - Body mass index - Silicone - Laproscopic surgery - Subcutaneous - Saline

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The banding procedure, unlike traditional gastric surgeries like Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RNY), does not cut into or remove any part of the digestive system. The procedure can be reversed simply by removing the band, which can be done laproscopically. With the band there are also no malabsorption or dumping issues since no intestines are removed or re-routed. All nutrients are digested normally, so the rate of weight loss is somewhat slower than RNY. On average, a ?bandster? loses 1-2 pounds per week in the first year. This number can vary widely depending on a person?s motivation and restriction levels.

Related Topics:
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery - Dumping

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Disadvantages of the procedure include that the patient is less likely to maintain weight loss over the long term when compared to someone who has undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery or biliopancreatic diversion surgery. A common risk of gastric banding include vomiting, which occurs when the patient eats too much or the narrow passage into the larger part of the stomach is blocked. Another is slippage or wearing away of the band.

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