Gastric banding: Adjustable Gastric Band
Operations | Anaesthetic | Procedure Time | Hospital Stay | Stay In Tunisia | Back To Work | All Inclusive Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gastric band | General | 1:30-2:30 hour(s) | 2 night(s) | 5 night(s) | 7-10 day(s) | £ 3400 |
What is a Gastric Banding?
Weight loss intervention is obviously not a trivial matter. A conversation must take place between you and the Doctor. If purely aesthetic surgery is a short-term solution, stomach surgery – Gastroplasty - is a way to help patients cure obesity. Today, adjustable bands allow Bariatric procedure to be performed with minimally invasive surgical methods. It is one of the 3 most popular weight loss surgeries. Indeed, Gastric band is a surgical technique to lose weight by reducing the volume of the stomach. It consists of using a silicone band with adjustable diameter around the upper part of the stomach in order to reduce the volume by defining a small pocket called "gastric pouch". As a result, small amounts of food are enough to fill it, the feeling of being satiated is easily reached. This eventually reduces the food intake of the patients.
The ideal candidates for this type of intervention are adults aged between 18 and 65 suffering from massive obesity with a BMI that exceeds 40 or severe obesity with a BMI that goes beyond 35, for at least 3 years, associated with at least one complication that can be improved through to surgery (diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, joint disorders ...). The procedure is advised for patients who have tried to lose weight without success through ways of physical activities such as sports, who also tried to go on several diets but it never availed to anything useful and who also attempted varied medical care interventions over several months. The ideal candidate for this surgery are also people who do not have contraindications to surgery or general anesthesia.
Find out others weight loss procedures:
- Gastric sleeve
- Gastric bypass
- Gastric balloon
Gastric banding price
The price of a Gastric banding in Tunisia coupled with a week of recovery or vacation in a 5 stars hotel is at least % cheaper than the sole procedure in Europe and for the same medical quality.
| Operations | Our price | UK price | Making you save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gastric band cost | £ 3300 | £ 6000 | 45 % |
How is Gastric Banding Surgery performed ?
The Gastric banding procedure is carried out under general anesthesia and lasts about 1 hour. It is usually performed by a small camera called laparoscopy. In fact, the surgeon incises between one and five mini-invasive cuts in the belly. Then puts a gastric band around the upper part of the stomach. Its diameter is adjustable thanks to a silicone tube that includes a small port positioned under the skin. The gastric band can be tightened or loosened by injecting a liquid into the small tube which enables the food to pass slowly through the esophagus. The device is composed of two parts: the silicone band lined with a filling balloon and a port-to-cath placed under the skin connected to the band by a thin silicone tube. This port-to-cath is a titanium injection devise that will allow the injection of a liquid to inflate the balloon of the ring that will its diameter to change.
The gastric band procedure is a totally reversible and painless method that will not cause any blatant scarring since it is performed with mini-invasive incisions.
Post-operative effects and recovery after Gastric Banding Procedure
After the Bariatric surgery, the patient can leave either on the same day or the next one. In order to reduce any feeling of discomfort, analgesics will be prescribed It is recommended to at least take 2 weeks off from work. . During the first two weeks after the procedure, it is important to follow a liquid diet, then soft meals in the form of puree and smoothies before resuming the normal diet which must be pre-chewed. Gradually, a solid diet can be reintroduced with new dietary habits to be kept for life. For instance, patients should ingest small amounts at each meal, chew well, do not snack between meals, stop eating as soon as they feel satiated and avoid drinking beverages during meals.
Results after gastric band operation
The Gastric band allows the gradual reduction of the size of the stomach until the resumption of its normal size. The loss is rapid during the first few months, then it slows down within 12 to 18 months. The expected loss is about 40 to 60% of the excess weight, for example a weight loss of about 20 to 30 kg for a person of 1m70 with starting BMI of 40. The results highly depend on the rigorous monitoring of the food constraints held by the patient. If they hope to lose more than 60% of their weight, let’s say 80%, in less than 2 years then they have to take into consideration that the bariatric surgery should be seen as a diet aid and not a final answer to losing excess weight.
On the long term, the effects of the gastric ring seem to weaken, especially if a dilation of the esophagus may occur. It is important to emphasize that the patient’s will allows them to maintain their weight. They are advised to stop their bad habits; such as snacking between meals, eating sweets and consuming too much liquid..
In order to have the best results, it is recommended to exercise, a light sports activity that allow muscles to grow while losing fat will certainly be beneficial. The patient should also follow a balanced diet according to the instructions of their surgeon. Furthermore, weight loss is visible over time and the gastric band will allow food restriction, acting directly on the stomach.
Advice before and after Gastric Band surgery
Before the gastric band, the patient meets various specialists and passes various exams: blood tests, gastroesophaloduodenal endoscopy, evaluation of the respiratory and cardiac function, pregnancy test, oral evaluation among other tests. This health check-up aims to detect possible pathologies such as nutritional or vitamin deficiencies, diabetes, hypertension, heart disorders, sleep apnea syndrome or other respiratory disorders, joint disorders. The patient is advised to review their eating habits and physical activity before and after the surgery.
After a bariatric band surgery, it is imperative to have only 3 meals a day. The diet behaviour of the patient must change radically and definitely such as swallowing very slowly and chewing each bite while sitting down. It is necessary to drink outside meals, to have a wide variety of food and to plan a recurring physical activity in order to encourage weight loss.