Laparoscopic Gastric Banding Treatment

What is Gastric Banding?

Gastric banding is a surgical treatment used for treating obesity. These kinds of surgery are called bariatric surgery. This process constricts the stomach so that a person feels full after eating less food than he/she usually. A laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, commonly called, a band, LAGB, or a lap-band, is an inflatable silicone device placed around the top portion of the stomach for treating the obesity, which is intended for decreasing the food consumption by the patients.

What is Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB)?

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is a type of weight-loss surgery. These weight-loss surgeries are also called bariatric surgery. It is performed as a laparoscopic surgery, with small cuts in the upper abdomen of the patients. The surgeon puts an adjustable band around the top part of the patient’s stomach. This surgery helps in creating a very small stomach pouch. The small stomach pouch means that the patients will feel full even after eating less food. This will help them in losing their weight. The band around the top part of the stomach can be adjusted. The adjustment can be performed by removing or adding fluid in a balloon around the band. This is performed through a port placed under the skin of the patient’s abdomen. A tube leads from the port to the band around the patient’s stomach. During the office visits after surgery has been performed, the doctor will use a needle to go through the patient’s skin into the port. The fluid is being injected into the port. The fluid then goes through the tube into the balloon around the band and presses the top of the patient’s stomach. A small amount of fluid is generally added at after each office visit, while the weight loss is being checked. If the band around the stomach becomes too tight, some of the fluid will be removed.

Hypnotic Gastric Band

Hypnotic gastric band also referred to as the ‘virtual gastric band’ is a non-surgical weight loss therapy undertaken with the use of hypnosis. It uses hypnosis to make the patient’s subconscious believe that a genuine gastric band is around the stomach and therefore can only take small portions of food. This process is designed to mimic the outcomes of what is referred to as gastric band surgery but without surgery.

Why might an individual require Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB)?

• Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), or a gastric lap band or a weight loss band is used for treating severe obesity. 
• It’s recommended for people who have tried other weight loss procedures without any long-term success. 
• The doctor may suggest Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) if the patients are seriously obese with a body mass index (BMI) over 40. 
• The doctor may also suggest LAGB if the patients have a BMI between 35 and 40 and a health condition such as high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or sleep apnea.

What are the risks of Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB)?

• Infection, blood clots, and bleeding in the patient’s legs are possible side effects that may be resolved after any other surgery. 
• General anaesthesia can also result in breathing problems or other reactions. 
• Other risks of Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) can include puncturing of the stomach, food not going into the stomach, or slipping of the band. 
• The patients may have food intolerance after LAGB. 
• For example, the patients may not be able to eat red meat (red meats are a major source of dietary iron). This would put the patients at a huge risk for anemia. 
• Over time, a fibrous capsule forms around the patient’s stomach and band. This can make it hard to do any other surgery on the upper stomach of the patient later on in his/her life if required. 
• With Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding LAGB, the patients may not lose as much weight as they would like to lose. 
• If the patient’s body mass index (BMI) is over 50, the band might not be a good option for the patients.
• If the patients are not physically active, they may not lose a lot of weight with this surgery. 
• The patients may also have other risks based on their health.

How do the patients get ready for Stomach Band Surgery?

• The patient’s healthcare team will be required to make sure that a Laparoscopic gastric bypass is a good option for the patients or not. 
• Weight-loss operation isn’t recommended for those patients who abuse alcohol or medicines, or who are not able to commit to a lifelong change in their diet and exercise habits. 
• The patients may need to have a psychological evaluation. The patients will also need physical exams and tests. They will require blood tests. 
• The patients may also need to have imaging studies of their stomach or have an upper endoscopy. 
• If an individual smoke, they will be required to stop smoking several months before surgery has taken place. 
• The patient’s surgeon may ask the patients to lose some weight before their surgery. This will be useful in making their liver smaller and making surgery a lot safer. 
• The patients will be required to stop taking ibuprofen, aspirin, and other blood-thinning medicines in the days before they undergo surgery. 
• The patients shouldn’t drink or eat or anything after midnight before surgery has taken place.

What happens during Stomach Band Surgery?

• Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) surgery generally takes about 60 minutes for its completion.
• The patients will have general anaesthesia for their surgery. This will result in the patients to sleep through the whole surgery, and not experience any pain.
• The surgeon will be using laparoscopy. The surgeons will make several small incisions (cuts) in the patient’s upper abdomen. The surgeon will then insert a laparoscope (a medical instrument) and put other small surgery tools into these incisions (cuts).
• The surgeon will put an adjustable gastric band around the patient’s upper stomach and then tightening the band for making a small stomach pouch.
• The surgeon will put a small port under the skin of the patient’s abdomen. A tube is being connected between the band and the port.
• If the patients have a hiatal hernia, the surgeon may repair that at the same time as their Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) surgery takes place. 

Factors Affecting Gastric Band Cost

It is important to understand that the gastric band cost may differ in regard to one or several of the following: Here are the key elements that influence the overall expense:

• Geographical Location
• Healthcare Facility
• Surgeon’s Expertise
• Preoperative Evaluations
• Postoperative Care and Follow-up
• Inclusions in the Cost
• Type of Band and Technology
• Travel and Accommodation

Best Hospitals for Gastric Band Surgery

• Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon
• Medanta The Medicity, Gurgaon
• Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon
• Max Hospital, Saket
• BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi

Best Doctors for Gastric Band Surgery 

• Dr. M. A Mir
• Dr. Vikas Singhal
• Dr. Avnish Seth
• Dr. Pradeep Chowbey
• Dr. Yogesh Batra

Why Choose GetWellGo for Gastric Banding Treatment?

GetWellGo is a healthcare service provider that assists the patients who plan to undertake their treatments in foreign countries; the service offered by this company includes gastric banding treatment. If you are considering this treatment, there are several compelling reasons to choose GetWellGo:

• Comprehensive Patient Services
• Highly Qualified Medical Professionals
• State-of-the-Art Medical Facilities
• Transparent Pricing
• Language Support
• Accommodation and Travel Assistance

FAQ

1. What are the advantages of this surgical procedure?

Minimally invasive: Uses minor approaches which can be employed in surgeries besides exposing the patients to too much risk and leaving them with tegument injuries that may take a long period of time to heal.

• Adjustable: It may be adjusted in either stiffness or size depending on weight and patient requirements.
• Reversible: In contrast to some other bariatric surgeries the band can be slipped off if needed.
• Gradual weight loss: It enables slow weight loss thus minimizing dangers of other related side effects of weight loss.
• Improvement in obesity-related conditions: Assists in managing or eradicating diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and joint pains.

2. What is the percentage likelihood of success for gastric banding?

• Weight loss: Usually, the patients are able to achieve reductions of their excess body weight within the range of 40–60% during 1–2 years.
• Health improvements: Many times it is controlled splendently and in conditions like diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, there are improvements.

Regularity of meal intake in accordance with the guidelines issued, active appearance of a physical activity program, and follow up.

3. What is the recovery time?

• Hospital stay: The majority of patients are discharged within 1-2 days stay in the hospital.
• Return to activities: The intensity of the movements dictates the rate of return to normal activities, that is, light activities can be done in 1–2 weeks while heavy activities may be taken 4–6 weeks.
• Full recovery: It takes 3-4 weeks for full scarring and approximately 4-6 weeks for adjustment to the band.

4. What alterations in consumption of foods and drinks are anticipated both in the short and the long term?

• Post-op diet: They are mostly fed on liquids, then soft foods and then, normal foods in the course of one to several weeks.
• Small portions: Minimally take small portions to avoid over expanding the pouch so that could be a challenge to voiding effectively.
• Avoid certain foods: The band can be blocked by chewy, sticky or dry foods.
• Chewing well: Chewing well, especially hard stuff so as to make it easier to digest.