What is a gastric band?
Gastric banding surgery procedure
After insertion of the gastric balloon, the gastric band can be adjusted up or down or tightened a little more. Once the perfect position for the gastric band is achieved, it is still fixed to the surrounding tissue by several sutures.
About one month after gastric banding surgery, the port is punctured for the first time to introduce a few milliliters of fluid. The fluid (a maximum of 9 milliliters in total) is usually a so-called X-ray contrast medium, which is visible in the X-ray image. This can be used, for example, to identify a leak in the gastric band in the X-ray image. The ability to work is usually restored two to three weeks after the operation, depending on the profession.
For whom a gastric band is suitable
However, the prerequisite in each case is that all conservative (non-surgical) measures have not brought sufficient success over six to twelve months. These measures include, for example, nutritional counseling, exercise training and behavioral therapy (multimodal concept, MMK). For gastric band surgery, one should be at least 18 and no more than 65 years old, although the procedure can also be performed in younger or older people in individual cases.
Certain physical and psychological illnesses speak against obesity surgery such as gastric banding: In particular, previous operations or malformations of the stomach, stomach ulcers and addictive disorders or untreated eating disorders (for example, “binge eating” or bulimia) are important contraindications for gastric banding. Pregnant women and people who permanently take anticoagulant medication must also refrain from gastric banding.
Effectiveness of gastric banding surgery
Advantages of gastric banding surgery over other procedures
Risks and complications
Basically, there are the usual surgical risks when inserting a gastric band. These include bleeding, organ injury, infection, wound healing problems, and problems due to anesthesia. Finally, there is also the risk of injuring the stomach during surgery.
- Displacement of the gastric band (“band slippage”, in about 5.5 percent of all cases)
- Volume increase of the forestomach due to gradual expansion of the forestomach (“pouch dilatation”, in about 5.5 percent of all cases)
- Gastric band leak or leak in the tube connecting the port with leakage of fluid (in about 3.6 percent of cases)
- Expansion of the esophagus before gastric banding (“esophageal dilatation,” in about 3 percent of cases).
Diet with the gastric band
- Gastric band carriers are not only allowed to eat less, they also have to eat differently than before. In order for the food mush to pass through the bottleneck, each bite must be chewed very thoroughly. Long-fibered meat (beef, pork) or vegetables often cause problems.
- Since liquids also fill the small forestomach, at least for a short time, you should separate eating and drinking in time.
Gastric banding: Costs
The gastric band costs consist of different parts: On the one hand, of course, the operation itself. In addition, there are further costs for the inpatient hospital stay and the control appointments for checking the gastric band. The gastric banding costs vary considerably depending on the doctor and the amount of treatment required. The price range is approximately between 5000 to 10,000 euros.
