Gastric banding ( Bariatric ) is a surgical procedure that involves fitting a band around the upper part of your stomach.
Procedure Time: 1-2 nights stay After
Procedure: On a liquid diet for 4 weeks
Recovery Time: Band check after 4 weeks
It is usually only recommended as a last resort for people who are morbidly obese (those with a BMI of over 40), or those with a BMI of between 30-40 who also have a condition that poses a serious health risk, such as diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), or heart disease.If you are very obese, gastric banding can be used as a way of helping you to lose weight by controlling the amount of food that you eat.
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- Comfortable Stay in our own private hospital
- Post operative visits and follow up care
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How does gastric banding procedure work?
Once the gastric band is in place it can be adjusted externally (outside the body) at any time by a surgeon. This means the band can be made either tighter or looser, depending on the amount of food your surgeon wants to restrict you from eating.
Our surgeon can make the band tighter by adding salt water (saline) into the band. This slows down the amount of food that can pass through your stomach – meaning your stay feeling full for longer. To loosen the band, some of the salt water fluid is removed, meaning food passes through quicker to your digestive system. Generally, a gastric band is loose to start and then tightened when you are used to eating less food.
A gastric band is designed to remain permanently within your stomach. However, it can be removed, and in the majority of cases leaves you with no permanent changes to your stomach.
The procedure to fit a gastric band can involve a certain degree of complication, for example there is a risk of infection, and in rare cases, leaking into your stomach may occur.
YOUR BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)
weight-loss-surgery
Previous patients of the Belvedere clinic have gone on, since the operation to lead a healthy, life changing future.
Research by the National Bariatric Surgery Registry revealed that operations on severely obese patients prevented or eliminate premature death, disease and disability. Type 2 diabetes cases have decreased significantly since the introduction of gastric band surgery, with the average patient shedding nearly 60% of excess body weight.
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR BMI
If you know your weight and height you can try the BMI calculator on the NHS website, please use the link below
http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx?Tag=Calculators
The categories are listed below
BMI Classification Health Risk Surgery Category
Under 18.5 Underweight Minimal n/a
18.5 – 24.9 Healthy Weight Minimal n/a
25 – 29.9 Overweight increased cosmetic
30 – 34.9 Obese High cosmetic
35 – 39.9 Severely Obese Very High medically necessary
40 & over Morbidly Obese Extremely High usually medically necessary
A person with a BMI between 35.0 – 39.9 may be eligible for weight loss surgery if they have comorbidities (medical illnesses/diseases that are either caused by or contributed to by the excess weight that can result either in significant physical disability or even death.)
Morbidly Obese: “Morbid obesity” means that a person is either 50%-100% over normal weight, more than 100 pounds over normal weight, has a BMI of 40 or higher, or is sufficiently overweight to severely interfere with health or normal function.
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Bariatric Surgery FAQs
How long does the surgical process take ?
It can take between 30 minutes to 2 hours with the added time of putting you under anesthesia and having you awaken from it. You will need 1 or 2 overnight stays at the Belvedere hospital after your surgery
How much weight can I lose ?
This depends on the type of surgery you get but it also has much to do with how well you stick to a new diet and lifestyle. You must work at increasing exercise and reducing your caloric intake. If you do not, you will not lose as much as you want to and you might even regain the weight you lost following surgery. You should be able to lose more than 50 percent of your excess weight and not regain it.
Could I end up in the ICU ?
If you are considered a high-risk patient, you may but your doctor will discuss this with you beforehand.
I do not want to give up smoking, do I need to before getting gastric banding surgery ?
Unfortunately, yes, you must. The reason is that smoking can increase complications during surgery. You could have more trouble with healing or you could end up with a chest infection. If you do not stop smoking you will not be considered for the surgery. You must at least involve yourself in stop smoking interventions. They are offered just about everywhere.
Will I lose any hair ?
You might and this is due to the fact that hair can become thinner with weight loss. It is usually temporary and you can take special vitamins to restore your hair to its natural thickness. It should resolve itself after a few months.
Am I going to have sagging skin after the surgery ?
After you lose a significant amount of weight, you will likely notice the areas around the tummy, the arms, thighs, and breasts do get saggy. This depends on how much weight you lose and your age. You can do exercises to help combat the saggyness, and if it truly bothers you, it is possible to get it corrected with plastic surgery. You will not be able to get this funded by the NHS, however. You do want to be careful to keep folds of skin clean and dry because infections can result.