How it works to help you lose weight?

Gastric banding is a restrictive procedure because it limits the amount of food you can eat at one time. During this procedure, the gastric band is placed around the stomach, dividing it into two parts: a small upper pouch and a lower stomach. The upper pouch holds about 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of food. This helps a person feel full sooner and longer than usual.

Obesity becomes morbid obesity when an adult is 45 kgs or more over ideal body weight,2 has a BMI of 40 or more or has a BMI of 35 or more in combination with a health-related condition such as obstructive sleep apnea or a disease such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease.

Advantages

Limits the amount of food that can be eaten at a meal.

The surgery can be reversed.

No part of the stomach or digestive system is stapled, cut, or removed; food passes through the digestive tract in the usual order, allowing it to be fully absorbed into the body.

In a clinical trial, Gastric Band patients lost an average of 38% of excess weight at 1 year and nearly 43% at 3 years.

Shown to help resolve other conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol (LDL), and obstructive sleep apnea.

Talk with your surgeon about the possible surgical risks.

Important safety information

The Gastric Banding is for adult patients 18 years of age or older, who have morbid obesity and have failed more conservative weight loss alternatives. The Gastric Banding is not for patients with medical conditions that may put them at increased risk during or after surgery, or for patients who are unwilling to make significant changes in eating and behavior patterns. If you have a hiatal hernia, it may need to be repaired before or during gastric banding surgery.

The goal is to lose weight at a healthy rate of 0.5 to 1 Kg per week.

Why the band is adjustable

Over time, your surgeon adjusts the tightness of the band to help you continually meet your weight loss goals. During an adjustment, saline (a safe fluid) is delivered through the port into the band balloon, making the band fit more snugly around your stomach. Saline can also be removed from the band. After an adjustment, you’ll feel full sooner, stay satisfied longer, and maintain gradual weight loss. Fast and easy band adjustments take place at your surgeon’s office, clinic, or hospital. Your first adjustment will probably be scheduled 4 to 6 weeks after your surgery.

Your band adjustment schedule

Your weight, the physical symptoms you report, and other factors help your surgeon decide if a band adjustment is necessary. The timing and number of band adjustments are different for everyone and can only be determined by each patient’s surgeon.