Weight loss with a Gastric Band, what is it?

Most people have heard of the gastric band.  Not surprising when the media use it as a phrase to describe all types of weight loss surgery and many celebrities have used them so we thought we'd let you know what's involved.

How do they work?

Important concept to remember - when your stomach stretches it sends messages to your brain to stop eating.

Imagine an old balloon left over from a party, slightly deflated and looking a little sad, this is supposed to represent your stomach.  Now imagine putting an elastic band around the top of the balloon so you basically make two balloons, one small one at the top and the bigger one at the bottom.

Now, when you eat something, the food goes first into the smaller bit.  The stomach wall stretches and when it does that it sends joyous messages to your brain to say WE ARE FULL!  So your brain says, STOP EATING!

And it's as simple as that.  It's all done with keyhole surgery, so there is minimal scarring and the great thing about gastric bands is that they are adjustable and removable.  So if it's not working as well as you want, or maybe working too well then your surgeon can adjust the 'elastic band' from the outside.  

No more surgery needed.

And in the future if you don't want it any more, just ask and it can be taken out.

How much do they cost?

Gastric bands start at under £7,000 and you can expect to lose about 20% of your weight.  So if you weigh 20 stone, you could lose 4 stone.  Not a bad deal really.

What are the side effects?

As with most types of weight loss surgery, if it's done well, there should be few side effects.  Your Private Surgeon will always discuss these with you first though.  Possibly the biggest problem with gastric bands is that some people, who have a compulsive eating trait, can find ways to overcome the surgery (no clues!).

A very important thing to remember: there is a growing trend in 'health tourism' where people go abroad for very cheap bands.  These may seem like bargains and from the prices we have seen, they are certainly cheaper, but the important thing to remember is that like every operation, everyone is different and once your band has been fitted, you will need to have it adjusted to suit your needs.  If your surgeon is 1,000 miles away, that may not always be easy...just a thought.

For all of weight loss surgery options, try www.theprivatesurgeon.com.

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