Adjustable gastric banding, also called laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), is a type of minimally invasive weight loss surgery.  During gastric banding, your surgeon at HB Surgical Arts places an inflatable band around the upper portion of your stomach, and then injects saline solution into the band, tightening it to create a small pouch at the top of your stomach.

Your surgeon inflates the band just enough to form the pouch while leaving an opening that lets food pass through to the rest of your stomach.  This means your food is normally digested before it moves on to the small intestine.

Since the pouch is so tiny, you can eat only a small amount of food before you’ll feel full and need to stop eating.  The opening is adjusted several times in the months after your surgery, making it a little smaller each time so that food stays in the upper pouch longer.  As a result, you feel full for an extended length of time.

The band is easily adjusted without surgery.  Additional fluid can be injected into the band through a port that’s placed under your skin.

Unlike other types of weight loss surgery, gastric banding leaves your stomach intact, and it’s reversible.  It also has the lowest risk of causing nutrient deficiencies, a problem that develops when part of the stomach is removed or the small intestine is bypassed.

The amount of weight you’ll lose after adjustable gastric banding depends on how well you stick with your customized diet and exercise program.  The team at HB Surgical Arts does everything they can to support your weight loss by offering nutritional counseling and a weight loss management program.

Patients who consistently stick with their post-surgery weight management plan can expect to lose about 40-50% of their total weight.

To qualify for any type of weight loss surgery, including adjustable gastric banding, you must meet several requirements:

• History of trying to lose weight without success
• History of losing weight but gaining it back
• Body mass index (BMI) of 40 and above or more than 100 pounds overweight
• BMI of 35 or higher with at least one obesity-related health problem

• Type 2 diabetes
• Hypertension
• Sleep apnea
• Osteoarthritis
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Heart disease
• Gastrointestinal disorders

The best way to determine whether gastric banding is a good choice for you is to come in for a consultation.  Call HB Surgical Arts or use the online booking feature to conveniently schedule an appointment.