Adjustable Gastric Banding | Lap Band | Band Surgery Sydney, Australia

Adjustable

Gastric Banding

Band Surgery (Lap band)

The Gastric Band (or lap-band) is an inflatable band that is placed around the upper part of the stomach using keyhole surgery. This creates a small ‘pouch’ in the stomach above the band which slows down the passage of food and only allows a small amount of food to be held in the pouch at any time. This gives the sensation of being comfortably full after eating a smaller amount of food and makes you feel fuller for longer. A tube from the band is attached to an access port placed under the skin in the middle of the tummy which is later used to adjust the inflation of the band to achieve the desired weight loss and minimise any associated side effects.

Who is this procedure suited to?

Obese and morbidly obese people.
It is not ideal for people with eating disorders, people who eat or
drink large amounts of soft drinks, milkshakes, beer or soft foods that
are high calories (i.e. ice cream). This is because these types of foods
increase the chance that the band will not be effective in the long
term.

What are the advantages?

The Gastric band is the least invasive surgical option with the lowest risks.
The risk of mortality is 2.5 times lower than commonly performed procedures like gall bladder surgery.
Hospital stay is generally overnight.
This procedure does not change the shape of the stomach or bowel.
The band can be removed or deflated at any time allowing the stomach
to go back to its original size and shape. (Although this procedure is
considered reversible, the band is almost never removed unless there is a
complication).
The band can be used during pregnancy, however the inflation of the band is simply adjusted.
Many procedures have been performed over more than 15 years with numerous studies supporting its safety and effectiveness.
The band helps patients to lose 50-60% of their excess weight.
Only requires minimal vitamin and mineral supplementation after the procedure, with no nutritional or metabolic problems.

What are the disadvantages?

By comparison, Gastric Banding is slightly less effective for weight loss than other surgical options.
Gastric banding requires very specific dietary guidelines to be
followed after surgery. Most patients will generally be unable to eat
certain foods such as steak, bread and sausages for example.
Although it might sound appealing that the band is adjustable, the
downside is that the band does require regular medical reviews after the
procedure to continually adjust the settings.
Because the band is adjustible it also means that it is possible to
cheat. If you have a history of eating problems or have difficulty
reducing high calorie soft foods, soft drinks or beer in your diet, this
may not be the best option for you.
Even though the band is reversible, it is only ever removed if there
is a complication. After being removed, it is expected that any weight
loss would be regained.
There is a small risk of the band slipping. People who have eating
disorders or who find it difficult to follow dietary guidelines during
recovery can cause slippage to occur. The risk of this occuring in our
patients is very low, about 0.66%.
There is a risk of Gastric band erosion. This is where the band
erodes into the stomach resulting in the procedure being ineffective and
leading to weight gain. In this case the band would be removed and
replaced. Our surgeon has never experienced this complication.
In the past some problems were experienced with the tube that
connects the band to the port. In the past this occured in about 5% of
patients, however new banding technology means that this problem is
almost non-existant.
There is a risk that the saline in the band can leak – we have never experienced this complication.
In the event of a complication during surgery, it may be necessary
to convert to an open surgical procedure, leaving a slightly larger
scar.