Popularly known as the LAP-BAND® surgery in Long Island, a gastric band is a hollow band made of special material placed around the stomach near its upper end, acting as a belt on the stomach, restricting how much a patient can eat. The band is then inflated with a salt solution. Following the initial surgery, the band itself can be tightened or loosened over time to change the size of the passage by increasing or decreasing the amount of salt solution.
How Does Lap-Band Surgery Work?
During your Lap-Band surgery in New York or NJ, the band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch that can hold only a small amount of food.
The narrowed opening between the stomach pouch and the rest of the stomach controls how quickly food passes from the pouch to the lower part of the stomach.
The system helps the patient eat less by limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at one time and increasing the time it takes for food to be digested.
Depending on the patient’s needs, the tightness of the band can be adjusted in size by inflating or deflating the hollow band. Inflating the band makes the opening smaller, causing food to pass more slowly. Deflating the band makes it wider, and causes food to pass more quickly. This adjustment is made by adding or removing fluid inside the hollow band. This is done in the office. The doctor does this by injecting or removing the fluid through a small button-like part called the access port. This access port is placed under the skin in a muscle in the chest wall. The port is connected to the band by the tubing. Learn about the adjustments of the band post-op below.