Gastric banding is a form of bariatric surgery that reduces the size of your stomach using a silicone band. Because your smaller stomach is not capable of holding as much food, weight loss occurs. Over time, the amount of weight you lose is controlled by your doctor who adjusts the band; tightening or loosening it allows for an increase or decrease in pounds lost. There are a variety of bands used to accomplish this; it is important to learn as much as you can about them before deciding with your doctor which is the best for you.
Swedish Band
According to the experts at Obesity Surgery, the Swedish band was the first adjustable gastric band, and it was developed by Professor Dag Hallberg in 1984. By 1985, he received his patent, however it was only available in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. According to the experts at Weight Loss Surgery, it became available worldwide in 1996.
Just as with most adjustable gastric bands, the Swedish band separates your stomach into two sections by placing the band around the uppermost section of your stomach. It can be tightened or loosened as needed, allowing more or less food to pass through to your lower stomach as needed. The upper portion of the stomach typically fills up quickly with food before passing through; this leaves you feeling satiated sooner, helping you eat less, ultimately resulting in weight loss. The balloon used to make these adjustments lines the entire band, making the band more flexible for this process than some other bands on the market.
Lap-Band
Not long after Professor Hallberg received his patent for the Swedish band, an American doctor, Lubomir Kuzmak, designed what is now known as the Lap-Band. According to Obesity Surgery, Dr. Kuzmak applied for his patent in 1985, however unlike Professor Hallberg, Kuzmak's patent was strictly for the United States. Although the Lap-Band has now been re-designed, originally it could only be adjusted a millimeter or two, and this was not very flexible. It can now be adjusted 7 to 8 mm.
According to the Lap-Band Guide, the Lap-Band has been used in Europe since 1993, despite its American patent. In 2001, it received FDA approval to be used in the United States and since then, more than 350,000 Lap-Band procedures have been performed worldwide.
Midband
The Midband was designed by Dr. Vincent Frering in Lyon, France, after the design and patent of the Lap-Band. This band differs slightly in design from the previous two, being a bit shorter with a larger balloon. Dr. Frering, having experience with both the Swedish and Lap-Bands, designed the Midband in this manner to provide a softer system. Doing this ensures the band does not irritate the lining of the gastric wall, which prevents irritation and erosion of the band from occurring. In addition, the Midband also has no sharp edges like some of the other bands, and it is easily detected by X-rays, taking the guess work out of adjustments.
Easyband System
As the newest addition to the gastric-band family, Easyband works like none other. While all other gastric bands require saline solution for inflation or deflation of the balloon during adjustments, the Easyband is purely technological. Inside the band is a motor and microchip; when it is time to adjust your band, the doctor will use a handheld device resembling a remote control to locate the chip. Once found, he sends a signal to the chip, telling the band to tighten or loosen. It should be noted that the Easyband is still experimental and there is currently no evidence to prove or dispel its effectiveness.
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