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The adjustable gastric band is a restrictive operation. This means an inflatable band will restrict the amount of food you can ingest. There is no rerouting of intestines with gastric banding surgery.
The operation begins by placing an inflatable band around the top portion of the stomach. The band creates a small stomach pouch at the top of the stomach. The band is connected to a piece of thin tubing with a port at the end that sits comfortably underneath the skin. To create more restriction, sterile water is injected into the port causing the band to inflate so less food can be eaten at one time. This restriction can be altered – increased or decreased – throughout the life of the band.
Food will travel from the mouth into the small pouch. Because the new sleeve is small, you should feel full sooner than you had in the past. The food will move slowly into the lower portion of the stomach. The speed the food moves into this portion of the stomach is dependent on how much sterile water is injected into the band. Digestion will occur as it did before the operation.
After your adjustable band, you can expect to stay about 1 night in the hospital. You will also need to follow a special diet to allow for healing and to avoid complications. In about one month, most patients return to a regular healthy eating plan. Because a patient consumes less food due to restriction, vitamin and mineral supplements will be needed for the rest of your life.