Gastric band surgery reduces the size of your stomach through the placement of a silicone band on the upper portion of your stomach. This decreases the size of your stomach, making it incapable of holding large amount of food. Over time, weight loss occurs. Your doctor controls your weight loss and the speed at which you lose weight by adjusting the band; tightening it increases weight loss while loosening it decreases it. A variety of bands may be used to accomplish this.
Easyband
The Easyband is the newest type of gastric band. While other types require an injection of saline solution into the band for adjustments to be made, the Easyband is more technologically advanced. Inside the band is a motor and microchip; during adjustments, the doctor uses a hand-held device, similar to a remote control, to locate the chip. He then sends sends a signal to the chip which either tightens or loosens the band. The Easyband is considered experimental still, and its effectiveness is still being studied.
Lap-Band
This silicone band is placed around the uppermost portion of the stomach, creating a smaller stomach, or pouch. You must visit the doctor every few weeks to have your band adjusted. This is done by inserting a needle filled with saline into a port that has been inserted just below your skin. When saline is injected into the band, it tightens, which helps create a sense of fullness after eating small amounts of food. In some cases the doctor may withdraw saline, which loosens the band and slows down weight loss.
Swedish Band
The Swedish Band works like most other gastric bands on the market today in that it creates a small pouch in the uppermost portion of your stomach. The band is adjustable, and can be tightened and loosened, thereby controlling the amount of food than can be consumed. This band differs, however, in the placement of the balloon that is needed for adjustments. Rather than lining only a portion of the band, the balloon lines the entire band. This makes the Swedish Band more flexible than some of the other bands available today.
The Midband
The Midband allows for the formation of a small pouch which can be adjusted to control the amount of food that passes through to the stomach below the band; this results in weight loss. What differentiates this method is the design of the Midband, which is slightly shorter than those used in Lap-Band and Swedish Band surgery. This shorter band reduces irritation of the gastric wall lining, and is more resistant to erosion. The Midband is also easily detected by X-rays, which can simplify the adjustment process.
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