The Gastric Bands and the Lap Band Procedure

There are two types of Gastric Bands: Lap Band from Allergan Company and Realize Band from Johnson and Johnson Company. Both work the same way and are biocompatibles.

Dr. Arturo Rodriguez will discuss the type of Gastric Band that will be used in patient's surgery.

The Gastric Band

The gastric band or "belt" is constructed of a silicone material that is placed around the upper part of the stomach during the gastric band procedure. This is used to limit food intake.

There is a hose or "tube" that connects the gastric band to a port or "valve". This port is placed in the fat of the abdominal wall. It is used to inject saline solution into the gastric band to increase or decrease its diameter. This changes the opening of the stomach where food passes through.

Different types of Adjustable Gastric Band differ in design, shape, smoothness, and edges. There are also differences in the way that the Gastric Band is placed in the abdominal cavity. They vary in length and after closing it differs from one to another in the way it ties to the stomach (concentric, in triangular manner, or as a clip).

Some of the Adjustable Gastric Bands can be seen by X-ray as opposed to other types of Gastric Bands. The port and the way it is connected with the hose differ with each gastric band. The ports are made of different materials and come in different shapes and sizes. The amount of fluid that a gastric band can hold is determined by the size and length of the gastric band. It may hold anywhere from 4cc to 15cc.