Adjustable Gastric Banding or Lap Band surgery (Bariatric Surgery) helps obese patients to reduce their over weight. It is an inflatable band placed around the stomach with the help of keyhole surgery where the size of the stomach is reduced using a band so that only small amount of meals can be taken and feel fuller soon.

Life Weight Loss Centre performs adjustable gastric banding surgery for over weight people to restrict their weight. Adjustable gastric banding is a form of restrictive weight loss surgery designed for obesity patients, in which an inflatable band is placed around the stomach with the help of keyhole surgery. Its tubing is attached to an access port which is placed on the muscle of the tummy.

The port is used later to inflate the small balloon inside the band to narrow the stomach gradually to stop patients eating big meals. This procedure is the least minimally invasive with the least risk factors associated with this surgery.

Main advantage of gastric banding surgery is, this procedure does not change the shape of the stomach or bowel and the band can be removed at any time and deflated at any time allowing the stomach to go to its original size and shape. The band helps patients lose 50-60% of their excess weight.

Gastric banding does not cause any nutritional/metabolic problems provided patients take vitamin and mineral supplements regularly and the band does not interfere with a baby’s development during pregnancy.

Possible side effects

Ø       Slippage - considered a surgical emergency usually due to constant vomiting as a result of eating wrong types of food. The lower stomach slips through the band and causes complete blockage of the stomach. The patient usually experiences severe pain and is unable to even drink water. This complication has occurred in 0.66% of our patients.

Ø       Gastric band erosion – The band erodes into the stomach resulting in the patient being able to eat normally with the resulting weight gain. This requires the removal and replacement of the band. Dr. Durmush has never had this complication in his series. Its incidence is normally less than 1%

Ø       Tubing problems – Commonest problem usually fixed with minor surgery. Its incidence is 5% in our series.

Ø       Leaking band – we never experienced this complication.