Procedure

The patient lies down to expose the stomach, and anesthesia is administered. The skin at the surgical site is cleaned. The surgeon creates a series of small incisions in the abdominal area and inserts a laparoscopic camera and tools into the abdominal cavity. The camera allows the surgeon to view the procedure on a monitor.

 

A tube with an inflatable balloon is inserted into the patient´s mouth and pushed down the esophagus to the upper stomach. The balloon is inflated to expand the upper stomach. The gastric band is placed between the upper and lower stomach and tightened to form a small pouch. To secure the band a flap of stomach tissue is pulled over the band and sutured to keep the band positioned properly. The pouch formed by the band effectively becomes the new stomach, limiting food intake, helping the patient feel full more quickly and slowing digestion. The band’s tubing is connected to an access port that will be placed outside of the abdominal cavity just under the skin. Initially, a small amount of saline may be injected through the port to adjust the tightness of the band. After the surgery, saline may be injected or removed to further adjust the band. The balloon is removed, and the incision is closed with sutures or surgical staples. The stomach is then bandaged.

 

The surgery takes about one to two hours. After surgery the patient is closely monitored in the hospital during recovery. The stay in the hospital is normally for 2 to 3 days and return to normal activity with two to four weeks.

 

Risks

Gastric banding surgery is considered the least invasive of the bariatric surgeries, however there are some risks which include:

 

   •  Serious infection or bleeding

   •  Digestive problems

   •  Slippage of the band

   •  Minor surgical problems

   •  Blood clots in the legs

   •  Access port problems

 

Risks can be minimized by following the surgeon's instructions before and after surgery.

 

This information should be used only as a guide to your medical treatment. All specifics will be discussed with your surgeon at your consultation. For more information about gastric banding surgery contact Saint Luke's by using the “Ask a Question” form on this page.