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Laparoscopic Gastric Band St Louis, MO

The Procedure

The Adjustable Gastric Band, also known as the Lap-Band, consists of an inflatable band wrapped around the top part of the stomach. The band forms a small stomach pouch above the band, leaving the rest of the stomach below the band. It helps reduce the amount of food a patient can eat in one sitting.

How Does Lap-Band Surgery Work?

Because the stomach pouch is smaller, consuming a small quantity of food will alleviate hunger and induce a sensation of fullness. The size of the opening produced by the gastric band between the pouch and the remainder of the stomach determines the sensation of fullness. The surgeon can adjust the size of the opening by filling the band with sterile saline and injecting it through a port beneath the skin. Adjusting the band does not require additional surgery.

The adjustable gastric band uses restriction, rather than malabsorption, to achieve weight loss results. Patients eat smaller portions per sitting and feel full more quickly. Several other procedures, such as the gastric bypass and gastric sleeve , also reduce the amount of food that a patient can eat.

The main advantage of the adjustable gastric band in St Louis, MO, is that it’s reversible, unlike most other weight loss procedures. Patients may have their band removed if they no longer want it.

Advantages of Gastric Banding

Reduces the quantity of food that can be held in the stomach
Approximately 40 – 50% of expected excess weight loss
There is no stomach cutting or rerouting of the intestines
A shorter hospital stay is required, generally less than 24 hours, with some centers releasing the patient on the same day as surgery
Is adjustable and reversible
It has the lowest risk of early postoperative complications and death among authorized bariatric operations.
Has the lowest chance of vitamin/mineral deficiency