Gastric banding (also called lap band surgery or Lap-Band®) is a reversible, minimally invasive weight loss treatment. During surgery, we place an adjustable band around the top of your stomach and a port just under your skin. Through the port, our team can tighten or loosen the band as needed to support your ongoing weight loss.
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What to expect
Knowing what to expect can help you feel more confident and prepared as you begin your gastric banding journey.
During your initial consultation, we will review your medical history and perform psychological evaluations to ensure you’re mentally prepared for gastric banding. This is your initial opportunity to ask questions about the procedure and the long-term nutritional and lifestyle behavior commitments.
Before surgery, you’ll need several blood and imaging tests to ensure you’re healthy enough for the procedure. We will also provide nutritional counseling to help you lose weight before surgery and support in making lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking.
Our care team will go over pre-surgery instructions, but generally, you should avoid taking aspirin, blood-thinning medications or ibuprofen at least 24 hours prior to your procedure.
Before your procedure, we’ll give you general anesthesia to help you sleep. Then, using a laparoscopic technique, your surgeon will place and tighten the band around your stomach and put in the port that allows us to adjust the band as you lose weight.
Most people stay in the hospital for one night and go home the day after surgery.
After following a liquid diet for 1 to 2 weeks, you can gradually progress from pureed and soft foods to more regular meals. You will also need to begin taking vitamins and supplements, because you can no longer eat enough to meet your nutritional needs.
You can gradually return to your regular activities within 2 to 4 weeks and expect a full recovery within 4 to 6 weeks.
Band adjustments are called “fills.” To complete these in-office procedures, we either inject or remove saline from your port, which tightens or loosens your gastric band. We will schedule your first adjustment roughly six weeks after surgery. On average, patients need four to six adjustments in the first year.
After your surgery, you will need to adopt a healthy, portion-controlled diet and gradually increase your activity level. We will be here to support you through customized nutritional guidance, fitness coaching, behavioral therapy and more.
People also ask
If you're considering gastric banding, these frequently asked questions can help you better understand the procedure and what to expect.