What is involved in Laparoscopic gastric banding?
Gastric banding involves placing a band around the upper stomach; this band has a balloon inside leading to a narrow tube connected to a reservoir placed under the skin. The operation is performed laparoscopically (keyhole surgery) and takes only about 40 minutes. You will be allowed home at between 12 and 72 hours after surgery. You start with fluids on the same day which is continued for another 4 weeks. You then start on soft diet and then gradually build up to solid food over the next couple of weeks. About 6 weeks after the procedure, the balloon in the band is inflated using a special needle placed through the skin into the reservoir. This will tighten the band. The amount of fluid in the balloon will need to be adjusted over subsequent weeks to produce the required weight loss.
