Gastric Band Surgery: A New You!
Many people who consider bariatric surgery feel that gastric bypass surgery is too invasive a procedure, as it involves cutting or stapling the stomach itself.A less-invasive procedure is available, however, and gastric band surgery may be the answer for you!
Some of the advantages of gastric band surgery include:
- Less surgical trauma and pain as compared to other surgeries
- Less invasive for both the stomach and the abdominal wall
- Portions of the stomach and intestines are not bypassed
- Low operative risk and risk of infection
- Procedure is reversible
- Shorter hospitalization than with standard surgery
All of this is accomplished through the insertion of what is known as a gastric band. The gastric band is in fact a silicone ring filled with a saline solution. It’s connected to a small reservoir that the surgeon places beneath your skin.
The gastric band is adjustable because the amount of saline in the ring can be changed. It’s adjusted to allow more or less food to pass between the two sections of your stomach. This adjustment can take place at your doctor’s and can happen as frequently as needed. If you’re not losing enough weight, the gastric band can be tightened; if you’re losing too much weight, it can be loosened. When tighter, the gastric band allows you to feel full more quickly with less food intake; when loosened, you allow yourself more food before feeling full.
Gastric band surgery is not for everyone, but if you’re thinking of bariatric surgery and want something less invasive than gastric bypass surgery, then gastric band surgery may be for you.
