Gastric banding is a weight loss surgery that is performed laproscopically and is one of the least invasive approaches to weight loss surgery because neither the intestines nor the stomach are cut. Gastric banding is a bariatric surgery that is restrictive in nature and does not bypass the stomach or intestines causing malabsorption. Instead, individuals find the surgery limits the amount of food they can eat, reduces their appetite, and slows digestion.
Open Vertical Banded Gastroplasty
This surgery was developed in 1982 by Dr. Edward Mason at the professor of surgery at the University of Iowa. The open procedure is done under general anesthesia, according to the Surgery Encyclopedia. In many cases, it requires two hours and an incision several inches long in the upper stomach. The surgeon places staples in the stomach allowing for 10 percent of the normal size and then stitches a polypropylene band in place to keep food in the stomach longer. The open surgical procedure holds greater risk of infection than the laproscopic process.
Laproscopic Vertical Band Gastroplasty
According to Surgery.com, the vertical banded gastroplasty is an elective surgery that partitions the stomach with staples and utilizes a plastic band to limit the amount of food the stomach can hold at one time. The positioning of the staples overcomes complications of earlier procedures that allowed the stoma to stretch and the individual to regain the ability to eat more food.
Adjustable Lap-Band
According to Dr. Robert Brolin, the Lap-Band gastric surgical procedure places an inflatable band that restricts food. This allows only a small portion of the stomach to fill and the individual feels full much more quickly and for longer periods of time. Weight loss is achieved through reduced caloric intake and not malabsorption because the stomach is not bypassed. Because there is no stapling during this procedure it has the lowest risk of complications and is the least invasive.
Transoral Gastroplasty
This is a new weight loss surgery performed without an incision through the skin. The surgeon takes advantage of natural orifices, like the mouth, to perform the procedure, according to Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery. The procedure is being developed by a medical device company in California and is now in clinical trials. The procedure is only available through clinical trials and individuals must have a BMI between 35 and 55 and have been obese for at least 2.5 years before being accepted into the trial. Patients are also restricted after surgery for 30 days to a liquid or soft diet to allow the area to heal. It will be important to plan meals and calories well to avoid malnutrition. Leakage from staples that fall out is not a concern since the stomach had never been cut.
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