Gastric Band Surgery

Gastric banding is a type of weight loss surgery where the size of the stomach is reduced using a band so that only small meals can be eaten and you feel fuller soon.

The procedure involves placing an adjustable band around the upper part of your stomach to create a pouch. The pouch fills up quickly and the food passes slowly through a gap, formed by the band, into the rest of the stomach. The food then passes normally through the rest of the digestive system.

The operation usually requires an overnight stay in hospital and is done under general anaesthesia. This means you will be asleep during the procedure.

Your surgeon will explain the benefits and risks of having a gastric band fitted, and will also discuss the alternatives to the procedure.




About the operation
The gastric band is usually fitted using keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery, but it can also be placed via open surgery. The operation takes 30 minutes to one hour, or more, depending on the technique used.

Keyhole surgery
About five small cuts (one to two centimetres long) are made on your abdomen and chest. Your surgeon will insert a tube-like telescopic camera to view the area either by looking directly through this, or at pictures it sends to a video screen. The band is fitted using specially designed instruments passed through the other cuts. Afterwards, the skin cuts are closed with two or three stitches.

Open surgery
A single cut (about 15 to 25 centimetres long) is made on your upper abdomen. Afterwards, the skin cut is closed using stitches and staples.

The size of the pouch needs to be adjusted by adding or removing fluid in the band. This is done through a tube that runs from the band to a "port" in your chest or lower abdomen. The port sits under the skin. The band is adjusted a few weeks after the operation, leaving time for the swelling caused by the surgery to settle down.