About Gastric Banding
Bariatric Surgery Program
About Gastric Banding
There are several different options for weight loss surgery. It is important that you gather all of the information you need and talk with your doctor about what type of weight loss surgery is right for you.
Weight loss surgery can be categorized in one of two ways:
- Restrictive: food is restricted but digestion and absorption remains normal
- Malabsorptive: the size of the stomach is reduced, and digestion is altered
Gastric banding is a restrictive procedure that does not interfere with the digestive process. Most times this procedure is done laparoscopically.
A band is placed around the stomach near the upper end, which creates a pouch, limiting the amount of food you can eat and slowing the process of food getting to the rest of the stomach.
An injection port is also implanted in the abdomen, which allows for adjustments to be made to the band after the operation, which in turn can make you feel fuller.
When you eat less food, your body stops storing calories and will begin to burn fat.
Several adjustments are usually necessary after the procedure and can be done right in your doctors office.
Advantages of Gastric Banding
Because gastric banding is most often a minimally invasive operation, there are several advantages:
- Patients lose about 40 perecent of their body weight
- Faster recovery times
- The rate of complications is low
- Your doctor is not removing any of your natural anatomy
Risks of Gastric Banding
As with any surgery, there are also risks associated with the gastric banding procedure, they include:
- Leaks in the band or erosion of the band
- Movement of the band
- Port-site infection
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Inherent risks of any surgical procedure
Learn More
If you think gastric banding is right for you, call today 1-888-MD-RWJUH to sign up for one of our free seminars or to request an individual consultation.
Portions of above content courtesy of Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
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