Innova Hospital-San Antonio
4243 E. Southcross Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78222

Call: (888) 398-9201

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding

A gastric banding procedure that utilizes either the LAP-BAND System or the Realize Band is a purely restrictive surgical procedure in which a hollow band is placed around the uppermost part of the stomach, thus dividing the stomach into two portions, one small and one large portion. The band restricts the outlet from the smaller portion to the larger portion, slowing the emptying of food and creating a feeling of fullness. This feeling of fullness is the primary mechanism by which the band produces weight loss. Because there is no “bypass” component to this procedure, food digestion occurs through the normal digestive and absorption process.

LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding

LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding is one of the most popular weight loss surgery procedures available. This treatment has recently attained a new approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that allows LAP-BAND® System surgery to be performed on patients with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30, plus one or more comorbidities (serious health conditions that are obesity-related). This new FDA approval makes LAP-BAND® System Adjustable Gastric Banding available to millions more patients than ever before.

With LAP-BAND® System surgery, there is no stapling or revision of the stomach or intestines involved. The procedure is performed laparoscopically, using small instruments and tiny incisions, typically resulting in minimal recovery time and less visible scarring. Once the band is placed around the upper portion of the stomach, it will be filled with saline via a small access port that will reside under the skin. This allows our surgeon to increase or decrease the restrictive capacity of the band should patients desire or need adjustments to the amount of food that can be eaten before feeling full.

The entire LAP-BAND® System surgery procedure typically takes less than an hour and is performed under general anesthesia. Patients will need to come back to our practice for regular follow-up appointments to ensure the weight loss process is progressing safely and effectively. Lifestyle changes, including adherence to a new diet plan, will also be necessary following weight loss surgery.

LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding helped thousands of patients lose significant amounts of weight, reduce risks of developing severe health conditions, and achieve a slimmer physique.

Please contact Innova Hospital for more information on LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding surgery at our San Antonio, Texas-area practice.

REALIZE® Band

REALIZE® Band surgery works in much the same way as LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding. This restrictive weight loss surgery procedure involves the placement of an elastic band around the upper portion of the stomach, creating a smaller stomach chamber. The band can be made more or less restrictive with injections of saline through a small port placed under the skin. The tighter the band is made around the stomach, the earlier the patient will experience a feeling of fullness at mealtimes, typically leading to the loss of large amounts of weight over a period of time. Like the LAP-BAND® System, REALIZE® Band surgery is performed laparoscopically and is completely reversible. The entire procedure takes about 30 minutes under general anesthesia, and patients often go home the same day.

Regular follow-up appointments and adherence to a strict diet will be necessary after REALIZE® Band surgery to ensure patients are losing weight safely and effectively.

Advantages of Gastric Banding:

  • The amount of food that can be consumed at a meal is restricted.
  • Food that is consumed passes through the digestive tract in the usual order, allowing nutrients to be fully absorbed into the body.
  • In a US study, the mean weight loss at three years after surgery was 36.2% of excess weight.
  • The Band can be adjusted as an office- based procedure using a port which lies just beneath the skin. Adjustments enable the surgeon to increase or decrease restriction.
  • May be the procedure of choice for patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease.
  • The surgery is reversible.

Disadvantages of Gastric Banding:

  • For optimal weight loss, regular follow up is essential.
  • Surgical risks include band slippage out of place, band erosion into the stomach lining, and problems with the port underneath the skin. These complications may require another surgery to correct.

For more information on REALIZE® Band bariatric surgery, please contact our San Antonio-area practice.

Fluoroscopy Fills for LAP-BAND® System and REALIZE® BAND Surgery

From time to time, your LAP-BAND® System or REALIZE® adjustable gastric band will need to be adjusted to allow the stomach chamber to accommodate more or less food before feeling full at mealtimes. The band adjustment, or “fill,” is a quick and virtually painless process that usually takes less than an hour here at our practice.

The adjustable gastric band is usually empty when it is first placed around the stomach. After about six weeks, the band has had time to firmly affix itself to the stomach and the band can then be filled with saline to provide further restriction. In some cases, the band may help you to lose weight without ever needing to be filled; however, most patients will require at least one band fill in order to reach their goal weight.

The band fill will be performed using a fluoroscopy machine. Fluoroscopic gastric band adjustments involve the use of a live x-ray while filling the band. While the saline is injected through the small port under the skin, our bariatric surgeon can view the band around the stomach at the same time, helping the surgeon to provide the most precise and accurate adjustment possible. The fluoroscopic band fill technique reduces the risk of overfilling the band and also helps to ensure the band has not slipped to a different position around the stomach.

Band fills and adjustments are often vital to the weight loss process after adjustable gastric banding surgery. Precise increases or decreases in the amount of restriction the band is providing to the stomach is directly related to how much patients can eat before feeling full. Therefore, band adjustment procedures have a direct effect on how safely and effectively patients can lose weight.