University of California, San Diego Medical Center – Center for the Treatment of Obesity

How it Works

How Gastric Banding Works

The gastric banding procedure works by restricting the amount of food the stomach can hold by placing an adjustable band around the upper part of the stomach.

There is no cutting or stapling needed to divide the upper stomach pouch from the lower stomach. Unlike stomach stapling, the gastric band can be adjusted to suit your needs.

Minimally Invasive

During the gastric band procedure, the surgeon makes a few small incisions in the abdominal wall. Using laparoscopic techniques, a silicone adjustable band is secured around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small stomach pouch. At UCSD Medical Center, we use both the LAP-BAND® and the REALIZE Band, depending on individual patient profiles.

The band is connected to tubing which attaches to an access port fixed beneath the skin of the abdomen. The port cannot be seen and can only be felt when pushing on the abdomen. The port and tubing allow for adjustments.

The stomach pouch created by the adjustable band controls the amount of food taken in. It allows a small amount of food to pass through, delaying the emptying of the stomach into the intestines. This process creates the sensation of fullness sooner and over time, hunger decreases.

The procedure takes about 40 minutes and can be performed on an outpatient basis with no required hospital stay. Recovery times may vary, but patients can generally return to work and normal activities within 4 to 7 days.

Because the surgery uses laparoscopic techniques, patients experience less post-operative pain, recover more quickly, and are able to return to normal activities sooner in comparison to other forms of bariatric surgery.