LAP-BAND Gastric Banding

The LAP-BAND® is a band of silicone that looks like a wristwatch. Via tiny laparoscopic incisions, it is fastened around the upper stomach to create a small pouch. The inner surface of the band is an inflatable balloon.

By adding or removing the saline solution that fills the balloon, the opening between the new pouch and the rest of the stomach can be made larger or smaller, controlling the amount of time it takes for the food to leave the stomach-and how long the patient feels full.

Access to the balloon is through a tiny access port embedded in the skin of the abdomen.

Patients without complications will generally be home within 24 hours of the surgery.

See animation of LAP-BAND® Gastric Banding.

Due to a decreased appetite because of the smaller gastric pouch, long-term weight loss is usually between 50 to 60 percent of excess weight.

Is LAP-BAND right for you?
Mission Hospitals gastric banding candidates BMI will be evaluated on an individual basis. Considering the following questions may help you determine if gastric banding is right for you.

Are you:

a morbidly obese patient at least 100 lbs. overweight who weighs 400 pounds or less?
a patient for whom other weight loss techniques, including special diets, did not work?
an obese woman of child-bearing age who may wish to have children?
a morbidly obese patient who prefers a less invasive bariatric procedure?

Surgery Risks
Weighing the Risks of LAP-BAND® Gastric Banding Surgery

Gastric banding surgery carries the same risks that come with all major surgeries. There are also added risks in any operation for patients who are seriously overweight.

In a U.S. clinical study, 1% of patients developed a gastric perforation (a tear in the stomach wall) during or after the procedure that lead to the need for another surgery.

There are also risks that come with the medications and the methods used in the surgical procedure. You also have risks that come from how your body responds to any foreign object implanted in it. Results show that the LAP-BAND® system surgery may have fewer risks than other surgical treatments for obesity.

Patients can experience complications after surgery. Some may require hospitalization and/or re-operation. One or more of the following adverse events, ranging from mild, moderate to severe can occur:

Nausea and vomiting
Gastroesophageal reflux
Band slippage/pouch dilatation
Stomach-band outlet blockage
Poor esophageal function
Constipation
Diarrhea
Difficulty swallowing
Leaking or twisted access port
Band erosion

There can also be adverse events that are considered to be non-serious. Be sure to ask your surgeon about these possible complications.

Learn more
To learn more about the Mission Hospital Weight Loss Program, register today to attend one of the free weight loss information sessions. To know which information session is right for you, we will need your body mass index (BMI); calculate it using our online BMI form. Then call 828-213-2222, option 2; Monday through Friday between the hours of 8-5 or submit an online application and a weight management representative will contact you.

Mission Hospital Weight Management Program is conveniently located at Regional Medical Park just off I-40 at exit 51.
2 Medical Park Drive, Suite 102
Asheville, NC 28803
828-213-4100