subject: Getting Weight Loss Surgery [print this page] During gastric banding surgery, a firm silicone ring with an inner inflatable strap is placed around the stomach. The strap can slow the passage of food from the upper portion of the stomach to the lower portion.
What makes the procedure unique is the supposed ability to adjust the fit of the band. The inflatable ring should act like an inner tube, which can be inflated or deflated as necessary to help achieve weight loss results by restricting the expansion of the stomach.
Ideally, the ring should make the patient feel full with less food, slow the digestion of food and increase the length of time the feeling of fullness lasts after a meal. If the strap allows food to pass too quickly or allows too much food to be eaten at a meal, it can be tightened by adding saline to the strap.
A port connects to the ring, which can allow the band to be adjusted through the skin with a syringe, adding or releasing saline. The port should be permanent, and because it rests just below the skin, there should be no concerns with swimming or bathing.
The surgery is often performed in a hospital or a surgery center, probably using general anesthesia. Many surgeries are performed laparoscopically, which may allow the surgeon to work using long instruments placed in the body via incisions that should be a few centimeters long.
In some cases, the surgery can be performed "open," with the larger traditional incision, or a surgery that begins laparoscopically may be converted to the open procedure when the surgeon determines it is necessary. The surgery probably begins with multiple half-inch long incisions in the area of the stomach.
The instruments may be inserted through these incisions and the surgeon may begin by positioning the strap around the stomach. Once in place, the band can be inflated with saline, adjusted for the proper fit and placement, and probably closed around the stomach.
Once the ring is in place, a port that rests just below the skin may be placed. The port can be injected with saline to insure that it works properly, inflating and deflating the cuff without leaks.
Once the surgeon determines that the both the port and the strap work properly and that both are in place, the instruments may be withdrawn and the incisions can be closed. This procedure could be popular with both surgeons and patients for many reasons.
The surgery is said to be the least invasive of all the weight loss surgeries, supposedly requires the least amount of recovery time, and probably poses no risk of malnutrition when properly adjusted. Some patients may return to work within days and resume their normal activity level in possibly a week or two.
The adjustable nature of the ring can allow for steady weight loss of maybe one to two pounds per week. This is a slower rate than with many surgeries, and that could help prevent some side effects like gallstones and skin that hangs from the abdomen as the area shrinks.
The band is typically empty of saline, or probably has minimal inflation, in the first six weeks after surgery. Once healing is complete, the adjustments may begin, working to try to restrict the flow of food without completely obstructing the movement of food through the digestive tract.
These adjustments may continue for over a year after the procedure in order to optimize the effects of the band. The adjustments may be done by the surgeon and can take place in an x-ray suite.
An overly tight strap could possibly rub and cause erosion of stomach tissue. The adjustment capability also could allow the strap to be completely emptied in times of need, such as possibilities of pregnancy or serious illness.
This could allow the stomach to return to its full capacity when the patient needs more nutrition, and re-inflate later. If there is a problem with the band, it can possibly be replaced laparoscopically.
There may be a risk that the ring will slip, or move out of position, especially when the saline level in the band is being altered. Adjustable ring weight loss surgery probably requires significant behavior modification by the patient.
A patient who does not drastically alter his eating habits will probably not have the weight loss that other patients experience after this procedure. The stomach can potentially stretch, allowing larger quantities of food, if the patient does not adhere to the surgeon's instructions regarding meal size.
Exercise probably remains an important component of weight loss and can contribute greatly to long-term success. If working properly, the strap should pose no additional risk of malnutrition, and no risk of dumping syndrome as in other surgeries.
by: Tommy Greene
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