Types of Band Bariatric Surgery

When a person has band bariatric surgery it is considered a weight loss surgery. These surgeries are used to help reduce the size of your stomach. A bariatric surgeon can accomplish this in two different ways. It can be done either with adjustable gastric band (AGB) or vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). Either of these two surgeries are accomplished by using a belt to separate part of your stomach into a smaller pouch.

Adjustable gastric band

With this bariatric surgery it is performed by laparoscopic surgery, which is when the surgery is done using a small camera that can be used to visualize the surgical area and is minimally invasive surgery. It is frequently referred to as lap-band surgery. The bariatric surgeon will make two or three small incisions in your abdominal area. The gastric band is then threaded through one of the incisions and wrapped around the top of your stomach. It is then tightened to create a small food pouch. These band are expandable so any adjustments that need to be made are done by filling the band with saline. It is done by injecting the saline solution into a port that the bariatric surgeon left during the surgery. The port is usually anchored just below the skin to the muscles in your diaphragm.

Vertical banded gastroplasty

This surgery uses a bariatric band in conjuction with surgical staples. A hole is cut into your stomach with the bariatric band being placed through this hole. It is then wrapped around the outside of your stomach to help slow down digesting by restricting the size of the exit which food passes through. After the bariatric surgeon has the band in place the section above the band is separated from the rest of your stomach using a row of surgical staples. The pouch that results from the separation hold between one and two of food. By combining the reduced size of usable stomach and the gastric band you will often feel satisfied on less food for a protracted length of time. This type of surgery is often referred to as stomach stapling.

In conclusion

Either band band surgery has risks associated with the surgery. You can have post-operative infection and pain, which are the most common complaints heard. With poor diet choices and reduced consumption of food could also lead to dehydration and malnutrition. Sometimes the bands can slip, causing pain and internal damage in rare cases. These slippages will often require corrective surgery. Patients who have either surgery are asked to see the procedure as a tool to help them lose weight but not the solution.