Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) involves the insertion of a flexible plastic band around the upper portion of the stomach. This band constricts the stomach to form a small initial pouch with a narrow opening into the rest of the stomach. The tiny primary pouch will function as a new, much smaller stomach, causing the patient to feel full sooner. The size of the pouch’s opening can be adjusted by adding or removing sterile fluid to the band through a tiny tube with an opening at the surface of the skin.

The LAGB is one of the least invasive weight loss surgeries and involves a reduced risk of complications. Patients typically require a shorter hospital stay following surgery, and many are able to resume normal activities within as little as one week. Because the gastric band is adjustable, a physician can make changes over time based on a patient’s current needs and goals. The band and tubing typically last at least ten years (the first surgeries of this type were performed a decade ago), but if patients ever need or want to have them removed, it is fairly simple to do so, as the normal digestive system remains completely intact.

While fairly non-invasive, the LAGB procedure, like all surgery, still involves risk. Weight loss tends to be more gradual with LAGB than with other surgeries (averaging 1-3 pounds per week), and total weight loss typically plateaus at 50% of excess body weight (though up to 75% is certainly possible). Patients with a strong sweet tooth are less likely to achieve ideal results with LAGB, as high-sugar foods and beverages can easily pass through the initial stomach pouch and be digested for their full caloric value.

Click here to view a simple animation that illustrates the procedure.