Adjustable Gastric Band

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding has been around since the mid 1990’s.  Although it has become less popular as other operations have become safer, it is still a safe, effective and durable weight loss technique.  We have many patients who have had stable weight loss for over 20 years..

With this operation an adjustable silicone ring is placed at the top of the stomach.  After the operation the band is adjusted by adding or removing saline to tighten it or loosen it.  This is a simple injection in the office.

Gastric Banding is the safest of our obesity operations, but weight loss is perhaps more modest, around 20-25% of body weight.  But there is good data that shows the weight remains constant for 15 years or more.

Problems with the band are issues with the adjustment port, requiring a minor procedure to fix, slippage of the band, which causes obstruction and requires reoperation, stretching of the oesophagus with loss of weight control and reflux, and erosion of the band into the stomach.

Gastric banding does not involve removal of any tissue and removal of the band leaves the stomach intact, except for some residual scar tissue.

Please talk to our surgeon to discuss further.