Gastric Banding

What is gastric banding?

Gastric banding is a surgery that can help adults and some adolescents who are very obese (morbidly obese) achieve significant weight loss. Gastric banding reduces the size of the stomach and restricts the amount of food you can eat. The surgeon attaches an inflatable band around the top portion of the stomach and tightens it like a belt to form a small pouch that functions as a smaller stomach. The band is attached to a port that is placed in the tissue under your skin. This allows your surgeon to adjust the band as needed. Gastric banding has serious risks but the benefits can be significant. Benefits include long-term weight loss and improvement of many serious diseases associated with obesity, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Gastric banding can be a life-saving treatment option for people whose obesity seriously threatens their health and have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight using diet, exercise, behavioral and nutritional counseling, and medication. Long-term weight loss can also lower your risk of heart disease.

Gastric banding is only one part of a comprehensive obesity treatment plan that includes a lifelong commitment to healthy dietary and exercise habits, vitamin supplementation, and regular follow-up care. Less invasive treatment options that have less risk of complications are available to you to help you lose weight, so you should consider getting a second opinion about your treatment options before having gastric banding.

Types of gastric banding

Gastric banding is commonly known by many names, including adjustable gastric banding, AGB, LAP-BAND® surgery, and gastric band surgery. Brand names of gastric banding products include:

• LAP-BAND®
• MIDBAND™
• Realize™ Band
• Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB)

Other procedures that may be performed

Vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) is a major surgical procedure that combines gastric banding with stomach stapling. A small stomach pouch is created with surgical staples, leaving a dime-sized opening at the bottom. A band of plastic tissue or mesh is wrapped around the opening to help prevent the opening from stretching. This helps you feel fuller longer by allowing food to stay in the stomach longer. In general, VBG is not as effective as other weight loss surgeries and has a higher rate of complications compared to adjustable gastric banding (AGB).

Why is gastric banding performed?

Gastric banding is a major surgical procedure that may be recommended to treat obesity and reduce the risk of life-threatening complications of obesity. These include diabetes, heart disease, and severe sleep apnea. Gastric banding is not a treatment option for people who are mildly overweight. It is generally considered for adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more. This means being approximately 100 pounds overweight for men and 80 pounds overweight for women. Certain people who are less obese with a BMI of about 35 to 39.9 and have serious weight-related health problems may also benefit and be considered for gastric banding.

Gastric banding is generally only considered if other treatment options that involve less risk and fewer complications have been ineffective in helping you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. These include diet, exercise, behavioral and nutritional counseling, and medication. You will typically need to have a psychological evaluation prior to the surgery. Talk with your doctor about all of your treatment options and consider getting a second opinion before deciding on gastric banding.  

How is gastric banding performed?   

Gastric banding is usually performed in a hospital or surgery clinic on an outpatient basis. Outpatient surgery does not require an overnight stay in a hospital. The surgery should be performed by a bariatric surgeon who is specialized in bariatrics. Bariatrics is the field of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity.