More than 10.000 gastric bands have been placed in France each year with high experience.
Easy to perform, the procedure takes 30 to 50 minutes and requires a 2 to 3 night hospitalization. Quick recovery time and minimum risk.
The gastric band has been is steady decline due to its lack of long time effectiveness and constraints: strict diet, multiple band adjustments, need for a stable life regimen, vomiting or challenges eating or drinking requiring emergency removal of the band. Its bad reputation is not totally justified and while its failure at a distance has been documented, we now know why: poor patient selection with patients often being to young, with little stability, unable to adapt to a regular and strict diet, or demonstrating psychological fragilities.
- No gastric mutilation, the gastric band can be removed in case of failure, a sleeve or a bypass can then be performed simultaneously or in a subsequent surgery.
- No vitamin deficiency and progressive weight loss.
- Complications can occur at a distance: slippage, erosion of the stomach, migration, overfills and dilation of the overlying esophagus in case of overly frequent and important fills, complications may cause difficulties when removing the band.
- Can be compromised, some types of foods are not tolerated and change of lifestyle can interfere with social life.
- Reflux of pre-existing gastric fluid upward may be exacerbated by gastroplasty and blockage in case of excessive tightening is unpleasant.
- Weight loss is less significant compared to sleeve or bypass surgery.
It must be noted that this procedure isn’t a ‘miracle’: the post-operative diet is very important, monitoring is required to detect complications mentioned above and adjustments are not always easy to do and require radiological check-ups.
