The gastric band is a silicone ring that is placed in the upper part of the stomach. This ring is connected by a tube to a reservoir that is located under the skin and that allows the gastric band to be adjusted , that is, it allows to regulate the passage of food through the ring placed around the stomach . In this way, the gastric band acts by inducing satiety early, in other words, causing the person who is wearing it to feel full quickly, which reduces the volume of food and calories, thus losing weight.

His intervention is normally carried out under general anesthesia and usually lasts between 45 minutes and 90 minutes.

It is performed using a laparoscopic technique that is minimally invasive and the adjustable gastric band is placed in the upper part of the stomach, tightening it.

In order to reduce the size of the stomach , thus increasing the feeling of satiety and thereby limiting food intake.

The gastric band can be adjusted after the intervention and can be removed in the future if the patient so wishes with another surgical intervention.

What does it consist of?

One of the great advantages of the gastric band is the speed with which we discharge the patient, since in a few hours they can be at home and without postoperative pain. By not altering the normal anatomy of the digestive tract, there are practically no risks. On the other hand, although the adjustable gastric band is designed to be maintained for life, its removal in expert hands is simple and returns the digestive tract to its normal anatomy.

The gastric band is a safe, effective and long-lasting technique for the control of obesity. It is also one of the most used in the United States and Europe due to its simple placement, its low risk index and the possibility of controlling the level of adjustment of the gastric band on the stomach in consultation. Other factors that make it the most demanded method are its reversibility and the absence of long-term controls since, by not modifying the digestive system, it does not produce alterations in nutrients or vitamins.

Since the gastric band is never removed, weight can be managed effectively in the long term. In other techniques such as the intragastric balloon in which the mechanism that caused the weight loss is removed once it has occurred, there is an implicit risk of a new increase in weight.