Sugary For Obesity

Gastric band surgery

Gastric band surgery, or gastric banding, is a surgical procedure that involves fitting a band around the upper part of your stomach. Once the gastric band is in place, it effectively divides your stomach in two, creating a smaller pouch at the top.

Having a small stomach pouch will mean you need to eat less to feel full. The food then slowly passes down into the rest of the stomach and is digested in the normal manner.

A gastric band is designed to remain permanently in place. The newer kinds of gastric bands can also be adjusted without the need for more surgery. Adjusting the band changes the size of the stomach pouch, which will affect how much you can eat.

Gastric bypass

A gastric bypass is a similar procedure to a gastric band, as small stomach pouch is created from the upper part of your stomach. However the pouch is not connected to the rest of the stomach. Instead, it is surgically re-routed to the small intestine (the part of your digestive system where nutrients are absorbed into you body), bypassing the rest of your stomach.

The gastric bypass helps you eat less because the small pouch means you feel full sooner. You also lose weight because bypassing the rest of the stomach means that you are absorbing less calories from the food you do eat.

Sleeve gastrectomy

This type of surgery may be considered if you are at high risk from other types of operations, for example because you are very obese. This procedure divides your stomach vertically in a line, reducing the size of your stomach by about 75%. The way you digest food is unaffected. The procedure cannot be reversed

As your stomach is smaller, you need to eat less to feel full, and you lose weight. After 6-12 months, your stomach may start to expand, which could mean that you start eating more. At this point, a second type of surgery may be considered, if it is now safe to do so.

Intra-gastric balloon

An intra-gastric balloon is a soft silicone balloon that is surgically implanted in your stomach. The balloon is filled with air or saline solution (salt water), and so takes up some of the space in your stomach. This means you do not need to eat as much before you feel full.

This procedure is only temporary, and the balloon is usually removed after six months. This procedure is useful if you do not meet the criteria for the other types of surgery, for example because you are too obese.

An intra-gastric balloon procedure can usually be done without making an incision in your abdomen. Instead, the balloon can be passed through your mouth and down into your stomach using an endoscope (a thin, flexible tube that has a light and a camera on one end). For more information, see therapeutic gastroscopy.