A new option for surgery for morbid obesity! Gastric Band Weight Loss Surgery

Gastric banding is currently the most important restrictive weight loss surgery in Australia; as of 2008, more than 500,000 surgeries have been performed worldwide. It is also the fastest growing surgical procedure in the world, and the main reason for its popularity is that this surgery is very simple and safe.

The most suitable surgery still needs to be determined after a diet assessment by a nutritionist, a gastroscopy, an analysis by a psychiatrist and an evaluation by a surgeon.

The world's first gastric band was performed in Europe as early as 1992, and it was not approved for sale by health authorities in the United States until 2001. In China, it obtained approval from the Department of Health in December 2006 and can be officially used on patients with morbid obesity.

The gastric band is a ring-shaped band made of silicone. The inner ring of the band has a water ball structure that can be filled with water to adjust the inner diameter. After installation, the inner diameter can be adjusted according to the speed of weight loss to achieve a customized weight control effect. The band is installed 15cc below the cardia where the gastroesophageal junction is located. Therefore, the food intake per time is only 15cc, and the patient can only eat after the food has been ground and passed through the band.

When food fills the upper stomach, you will feel full, which can reduce your food intake and appetite and achieve the goal of losing weight. Gastric banding is a purely restrictive surgery with the same mechanism as gastric septum surgery; however, gastric septum surgery still requires cutting and structural changes in the gastric tissue, and it cannot be adjusted after the operation, so it has been completely replaced by gastric banding.

Gastric banding is a purely restrictive procedure and therefore is less effective and slower in the short term than gastric bypass. On average, 40 percent of excess weight can be lost in the first year after surgery, and 50 percent in the second year, with the greatest weight loss occurring in the fourth to fifth year.

According to the research of the Italian team, the tumor can be reduced by 70% in the fifth year after surgery. However, the results in the United States and Australia are not as good as the Italian report, which is around 60%. Although its weight loss effect is lower than that of gastric bypass, its surgical safety is the highest among all weight loss surgeries.

The mortality rate of the operation is about 0.5 in 10,000, while the complication rate is only 0.3 in 1,000 (including gastric torsion, perforation, intestinal obstruction, regulation tube rupture, etc.). Not all patients are suitable for this option. People with a sweet tooth are not suitable for this surgery. Although the band can reduce the capacity and outlet diameter, high-calorie liquid foods can flow into the lower stomach completely unrestricted. Therefore, if sweet foods such as sugary drinks, ice cream and chocolate are continuously consumed, the desired weight loss effect may not be achieved.

Although the short-term effects of various surgeries vary, on average, the long-term results of any type of weight loss surgery are about 60% reduction in excess weight over a five-year period. However, as to which surgery is more suitable, it is still necessary to undergo a diet assessment by a nutritionist, a gastroscopy, an analysis by a psychiatrist, and an evaluation by a surgeon before the most suitable surgery can be selected.