Gastric Banding
What is gastric banding?
Gastric banding or to give it its full title – Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB) is a straightforward procedure. Your surgeon makes a series of incisions and then places a silicone band around the top part of the stomach to create a pouch. This causes food intake to be restricted. Food moves very slowly from this pouch to the lower part of the stomach via a narrow passage created by the band. This slowing down of your food intake will cause you to feel full a lot quicker than usual. This band can be adjusted depending on your food intake and the amount of weight lost.
What is a gastric band?
A gastric band consists of a hollow ring, made of silicone attached to a length of tubing with an ‘access port' at one end. This hollow tube is designed to fit around the stomach in a similar way to a wristwatch.
It is wrapped around the top part of the stomach which then forms a pouch. This pouch can only hold a small amount of food. Due to this constriction food can only travel very slowly – ‘drip feed' from the pouch down to the larger part of the stomach.
The access port fits just under the skin. The surgeon injects a saline solution into the access port which travels down the tubing and into the ring. This causes the ring to expand. Fluid can be introduced or removed at any time which will either inflate or deflate the tube. This is why it is called an ‘adjustable' system.
Types of gastric bands
There are three types of gastric bands: the ‘LAP-BAND AP' system, the newer ‘Realize' system and the ‘Easy' band (only available through one source in the UK).
Gastric band related articles
Digestive Diseases
- Abdominal Adhesions
- Alagille Syndrome
- Anal and Rectal Problems
- Anatomic Problems of the Colon
- Appendicitis
- Autoimmune Hepatitis
- Bacteria and Foodborne Illness
- Barrett's Esophagus
- Basics
- Biliary Atresia
- Bleeding in the Digestive Tract
- Bowel and Intestines
- Bowel Diversion Surgeries
- Celiac Disease
- Children and Digestive Problems
- Chronic Hepatitis C
- Cirrhosis
- Cirrhosis (Primary Biliary)
- Collagenous Colitis
- Colonoscopy
- Colostomy
- Constipation
- Constipation in Children
- Continent Ileostomy
- Crohn's Disease
- Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
- Delayed Gastric Emptying (Gastroparesis)
- Dermatitis Herpetiformis
- Diagnostic Tests
- Diarrhea
- Digestion (normal)
- Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis
- Duodenal Ulcers
- Dyspepsia
- Endoscopy
- ERCP
- Esophagus
- Fecal Incontinence
- Flatulence
- Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
- Food Poisoning
- Foodborne Illness
- Gallbladder
- Gallstones
- Gas, Heartburn, and Indigestion
- Gas in the Digestive Tract
- Gastritis
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Gastroesophageal Reflux in Children and Adolescents
- Gastroesophageal Reflux in Infants
- Gastroparesis
- H. pylori and Peptic Ulcer
- Heartburn
- Hemochromatosis
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis
- Hernia
- Hiatal Hernia
- Hirschsprung Disease
- Ileoanal Reservoir Surgery
- Ileostomy
- Incontinence, Fecal
- Indigestion
- Inguinal Hernia
- Intestinal Adhesions
- Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children
- Lactose Intolerance
- Liver
- Liver Biopsy
- Liver Transplantation
- Lower GI Series
- Lymphocytic Colitis
- Menetrier Disease
- Milk, Problems Digesting
- Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
- NSAIDs and Peptic Ulcers
- Ostomy
- Pancreas
- Pancreatitis
- Peptic Ulcers
- Porphyria
- Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC)
- Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
- Proctitis
- Pseudo-Obstruction
- Rapid Gastric Emptying
- Short Bowel Syndrome
- Sigmoidoscopy
- Smoking and Your Digestive System
- Stomach
- Stomach Ulcers
- Tests
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Ulcers
- Upper GI Endoscopy
- Viral Gastroenteritis
- Viral Hepatitis: A through E and Beyond
- Virtual Colonoscopy
- What I need to know about Constipation
- What I need to know about Hirschsprung Disease
- Whipple's Disease
- Why does milk bother me? (lactose intolerance)
- Wilson Disease
- Your Digestive System and How It Works
- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome
Laser Eye Surgery
- Laser eye surgery FAQS
- PhotoRefractive Keratectomy
- LASer In situ Keratomileusis
- Wavefront LASIK
- Intralase
- Epi-LASIK
- LASEK
- Photo-Therapeutic Keratectomy
- Laser Thermokeratoplasty
- Radial Keratotomy
- Astigmatic Keratotomy
- Intra-Corneal ring Segments
- Conductive Keratoplasty
- Cataract Extraction
- Clear Lens Extraction
- Implantable Contact Lenses
- Cross Linking
- Blended Vision
- PRELEX
