► Departments → Plastic Surgery Unit → Body → Gastric Band Operations

A gastric band operation is a type of weight loss surgery where the size of your stomach is reduced using an adjustable band so that you can only eat small meals.

A gastric band operation involves placing an adjustable band around the upper part of your stomach to create a pouch. This pouch fills up quickly and the food you eat then passes slowly through a narrow opening created by the band, into the lower part of your stomach. The food then passes normally through the rest of your digestive system.

Surgery is usually recommended only if non-surgical treatments, such as diet, exercise and medicines haven't worked

What are the alternatives?

An alternative surgical option is to have gastric bypass surgery. Your surgeon will explain your options to you.

Who can have a gastric band operation?

They apparently work best on people who doctors class as 'volume eaters' - in other words, if you get fat by eating very large meals. If a patient has psychological problems that are causing some of the weight gain, they are usually offered a gastric bypass operation - known as stomach stapling

About the operation

The gastric band is usually fitted using keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery. Your operation will usually take 30 minutes to one hour.

Your surgeon will make a four to five small cuts on your upper abdomen. He or she will then use small instruments that are guided by a special telescope with a camera to secure the band around the top part of your stomach. The band is locked so that it can't come undone. Afterwards, the cuts are closed with two or three stitches.

The size of the opening from the pouch determines how quickly food leaves your stomach and is adjusted by adding or removing fluid to/from the band. A thin tube connects the band to a 'port' that has been placed under the skin of your chest or below your ribs. The band is adjusted by your surgeon a few weeks after the operation, leaving time for the swelling caused by the surgery to settle down. You are likely to have your band adjusted two or three times in the first few months after your operation.

What to expect afterwards

You will need to rest until the effects of the anaesthetic have passed. You may need pain relief to help with any discomfort as the anaesthetic wears off.

You may have a catheter to drain urine from your bladder into a bag. You may also have fine tubes running out from the wound. These drain fluid into another bag and are usually removed after a day or two. You may also be given fluids through a drip overnight.
You may have an X-ray taken the morning after your operation to check the gastric band is in the correct position, but this isn't always necessary.

On the first day, you may have to wear special pads, attached to an intermittent compression pump, on your lower legs. The pump inflates the pads and encourages healthy blood flow in your legs and helps to prevent deep vein thrombosis
You will be encouraged to get out of bed and move around as this helps prevent blood clots in your legs and chest infections. You may also have a further heparin injection to prevent blood clots.

For the first 24 hours you will only be allowed to drink clear fluids. After this your surgeon or dietitian will start you on a liquid or pureed diet for the first few weeks.
You will need to follow a strict diet and make some lifestyle changes to get the best results from your operation. Your dietician and surgeon will give you more advice about what you can and can't eat or drink and what changes you need to make.
You will usually be able to go home the day after your operation. You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home.

Recovering from a gastric band operation

If you need pain relief, you can take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Follow the instructions in the patient information leaflet that comes with the medicine and ask your pharmacist for advice.
General anaesthesia can temporarily affect your coordination and reasoning skills, so you should not drive, drink alcohol, operate machinery or sign legal documents for 48 hours afterwards.
Follow your surgeon's advice about driving and please contact your motor insurer so that you are aware of their recommendations. You shouldn't drive until you are confident that you could perform an emergency stop without discomfort. This is usually about two weeks after the operation.
Full recovery from a gastric band operation can take two to three weeks.

What are the risks?

A gastric band operation is commonly performed and generally safe. However, in order to make an informed decision and give your consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the risk of complications of this procedure.

Side-effects

These are the unwanted, but mostly temporary effects of a successful treatment, for example feeling sick as a result of the general anaesthetic.
You are likely to have some bruising, pain and swelling of the skin around the healing wounds.
You may feel or be sick after eating, especially if you try to eat too much. Your restricted diet may cause some shortage of nutrients so you may need to take multivitamin tablets.

Complications

This is when problems occur during or after the operation. Most people are not affected. The possible complications of any operation include an unexpected reaction to the anaesthetic, excessive bleeding or developing a blood clot
Complications specific to a gastric band operation are listed here.