Adjustable Gastric Band

The adjustable gastric band is another option for weight loss surgery.  While it is not as effective as the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, it is an option for some patients.   

The patient has the same small thumbnail size abdominal incisions as the gastric bypass. Through these incisions, the surgeon places a silicone band around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch above it.  As with the gastric bypass, the pouch is the key to the way the operation works.  Filling the small pouch with a few bites of food will make a patient feel like they have eaten a very large meal, so they will want to eat less.

The band has an inflatable inner surface.  For the band to work it must be tight enough and it must occasionally be adjusted.  The adjustments, or "fills", are made through a port that is connected to the band.  The port is placed just under the skin in the abdominal wall.  The adjustments are usually done in the surgeon’s office.  Sterile salt water, or "saline," is used to fill the band to make it fit tighter.  If it needs to be less tight, then saline can be removed.  The band is not filled initially after surgery.  The first adjustment is usually made about 6 weeks after your surgery.  Further adjustments will be determined based on your weight loss and other factors as observed by your surgeon.