Adjustable Gastric Band

Laparoscopic gastric banding leads to weight loss by placing an adjustable band around the stomach that essentially creates a small stomach pouch. As you eat, food will fill the small stomach pouch quickly, making you fill full much sooner and reducing the amount of food you eat. This procedure also increases the time it takes for the stomach to empty, making you feel full longer and reducing the sensation of hunger.

The band can be adjusted (made tighter / smaller) by filling it with saline through a port located just underneath the skin. The concept is to create anatomy that provides a sensation of “fullness” after a very small meal.

Dr. Josh Roller performs this procedure laparoscopically, and it is the least invasive of all the surgical weight loss procedures because it does not require division or removal of any part of the stomach or intestines. The device consists of a band, connection tubing, and a plastic access port. As the band is filled with saline, the balloon expands and the stomach outlet gets smaller, making it harder for food to pass. After placement of the band around the top of the stomach, the band tubing is connected to a small plastic access port, which is placed under the skin. The access port is used to add or remove fluid from the band.

Expected Weight Loss
50-70% of your excess weight

Weight loss for gastric banding patients is generally less and slower than for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients. On average, 50-60% of a patient’s excess weight will be lost over a period of 2 years. Follow-up clinic appointments for band adjustments and evaluations are extremely important for weight loss success. Dedication to exercise, behavior modification, and proper food choices is absolutely necessary to help achieve optimal results.