A gastric band, used to help severely obese people lose weight, can be adjusted about four to six weeks after surgery and the procedure takes only 10 minutes. Adjustments may be performed periodically after that to help you continue to lose weight. The procedure is done in a doctor's office without surgery.
Instructions
1. Connect the tubing. When a gastric band is first implanted around your stomach, tubing connects it to an access port that's fixed beneath the skin on your stomach. It can't be seen, but it can be felt. This is your doctor's access to inflate or deflate the Lap-Band or Realize Band.
2. Use a gastrotonometer (a type of sensor) to determine the current size of your stoma (the mouth of your stomach). The gastrotonometer will help the doctor to assess how much adjustment needs to be made as well as the band's position. The band, or ring, that constricts your stoma typically is inflated with a saline solution to make it larger or smaller. Just after surgery, you may experience water retention which reduces the stoma size so your doctor may not inflate the band at all at the time of surgery.
3. Inject saline. A surgeon will inject about one-half of the needed amount of saline and then check the gastrotonometer. Many doctors will opt to inject a small amount at a time, rather than a full amount to allow you to adjust to the new restriction slowly.
4. Return for more adjustments. Depending on your weight loss progress, you may return in three to four weeks for another adjustment. Adjustments will be based on whether or not you're losing weight at an acceptable rate or if you've had complications such as nausea, vomiting or obstructions when eating. The band can be completely deflated at any time if you experience obstruction, vomiting or esophageal enlargement.
5. Get an X-ray. Doctors may order an X-ray in which you will have to swallow barium (a contrast agent for better imaging) before and after adjustments for a more precise determination of how much to adjust your gastric band.
