Gastric banding

In this restrictive procedure, a silicone band, which is connected to a port under the skin through a catheter, is placed around the upper portion of the stomach. Through this port, fluid can be injected to inflate the band. This creates a small pouch that can only hold a limited amount of food (20 ml, on average).

Because patients feel full sooner on mainly solid food, the procedure is primarily suited to volume eaters. The digestion process is normal and for that reason, ‘sweet eaters’ do not benefit from gastric banding, as sweets pass through the gastric band relatively quickly.

Because the long-term results of gastric banding are often disappointing and complications (such as slippage, erosion, infection of the band) occur frequently, gastric banding is only performed in exceptional cases these days.

Latest publication date: 16/01/2024