Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery

Of the restrictive weight loss procedures available, gastric band surgery is the simplest. During the surgery, an adjustable band is placed around the the upper stomach. This band contains a hollow tube that can be filled with varying amounts of saline through a port under your skin. The more saline that goes into the tube the tighter the band becomes around your stomach. This makes the band more restrictive which makes you feel full and eat less.

The unique and simple design of the gastric band allows you to experience a much less invasive surgery with a shorter recovery time. Unlike gastric bypass surgery or duodenal switch surgery, no portion of your intestines is bypassed. This may not sound like much, but is actually important in terms of nutrition absorption. With gastric band surgery, food is digested the same way as before and there is no concern over nutritional deficiencies as a result of mal-absorption.

Additional Benefits of Gastric Band Surgery

• Gastric bands are adjustable. If you are planning to get pregnant, you can have some of the fluid removed from your band and allow yourself to increase your caloric intake. If you want to accelerate your weight loss, you can have the band filled so that it is tighter and you feel fuller.
• Your stomach and intestines are left intact and no permanent surgical changes are made.
• You will see an improvement in your obesity related illnesses including diabetes and high blood pressure.
• You will have greater success in losing weight than you would through traditional diet and exercise and with the adjustable band, you will be able to maintain it more easily.

Potential Drawbacks to Gastric Band Surgery

Of course, there are some potential drawbacks to this or any weight loss surgery:

• You could be one of the small percentage of patients who experience gastric band erosion, tubing problems or port problems. Or, you may experience gastric prolapsed which happens when the part of your stomach that is below the band comes up through the band.
• Your insurance company might not cover the surgery.
• You may have psychological or physical problems with the band and may need it removed.
• You may not lose weight if you make the wrong food choices.

It is important to weigh the inconvenience of the drawbacks against the benefits of the surgery. Often, it is well worth a little extra gas to lose hundreds of pounds safely and effectively. In order to really determine whether gastric band surgery using the LAP-BAND or REALIZE Band is right for you, you must consider the pros and cons of both gastric bypass surgery and duodenal switch.