| Gastric Banding Surgery Process
There are many bariatric procedures to lose weight and other exclusively intended for the treatment of obesity. Among all of them, Gastric Band Surgery is a long-term weight loss treatment intended for obese patients, in which a surgeon places a band around the upper part of your stomach via laparoscopic approach or open surgery.
This procedure is performed while you are under the effects of general anesthesia, and involving this process:
- The day before the gastric band surgery, you will gradually stop eating
- In the afternoon, you must only drink clear fluids consisting of water, broth, clear juice etc...
- Before bedtime, stop eating or drinking, not even water including in the morning when you get up
- At the doctor's office, clinic or bariatric center you will be asked about your intake in the last 24 hours
- Immediately, after you will receive an intravenous (IV) line may be started either in your hand or in arm
- The nurses or a member of your medical staff will position you lying on your back on the operating table
- A urinary catheter or pneumatic device may be inserted into your leg
- An anesthesiologist will closely monitor your vital signs during the surgery.
- The skin over the surgical site will be cleansed with an antiseptic solution.
- Depending on the procedure, open or laparoscopic approach, the surgeon will perform the gastric band surgery
- Incisions will be closed with stitches or surgical staples and a sterile bandage will be applied.
Gastric band surgery was approved in June 2001 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and although it is less popular than gastric-bypass surgery, recent studies and research have shown that these operations have fewer side effects and risks.
This surgery is not recommended for pregnant women, although recent outcome of 100 consecutive births in women undergoing gastric band surgery from the Laparoscopic approach had babies born to severely obese women after weight loss with this procedure.
Dr. Dixon, Ph.D., associate professor and head of clinical research, Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education in Melbourne , Australia said, "Women who are considering whether they will undergo weight loss surgery for their own health should also factor in the potential benefit to their baby if they think they will have children in the future".
However, the most common complication resulting from gastric band surgery is that the stomach pouch enlarges over time after the patient fails to continue follow-up sessions, exercising and eating an adequate diet with the intake of nutritional supplements.
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