Description

Laparoscopic gastric banding is surgery to aid weight loss. The surgeon places a band around the upper part of your stomach to create a small pouch to hold food. The band limits the amount of food you can feel after eating even small amounts of food. Gastric banding is a type of weight loss surgery that involves placing a silicone band around the upper part of the stomach to reduce the size of the stomach and reduce food intake. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a weight loss treatment. The surgeon places the band around the upper part of the stomach and connects a tube to the band. The tube is accessible through a port under the skin of the abdomen. Using this port, the surgeon injects saline solution into the band to expand it. Adjustments can change the degree of constriction around the stomach. The band creates a small stomach pouch above it, with the rest of the stomach below. Having a smaller stomach pouch reduces the amount of food the stomach can hold at any one time. The result is an increased feeling of fullness after eating a smaller amount of food. This, in turn, reduces hunger and helps lead to less overall food intake. One advantage of this form of bariatric procedure is that it allows the body to digest food as usual, without any disruption. It is the simplest and safest of bariatric surgeries. However, weight loss is lower than with other surgeries. Furthermore, people who have had gastric banding are more likely to regain weight in the long term. This type of bariatric surgery is completely noninvasive because it involves no incisions. The patient is sedated while a plastic balloon is inserted into the stomach through the mouth.