Gastric reduction with a vertical gastric band is an operation against obesity.
It digestive process starts in the mouth, where we chew the food and make it small by adding saliva. Digestion continues in the stomach, where the food is converted into a porridge-like substance, the chyme (medical name: chyme).
The chyme flows through to the small intestine. Here the food is further digested by enzymes from the pancreas and liver. Nutrients and vitamins are also extracted from food in the small intestine. The cladding of the small intestine consists of small frill-like projections called intestinal villi. These allow the digested food to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Gastric bypass with vertical gastric banding is a weight-reducing surgery that restricts a patient’s food intake without altering the digestive process. In this operation, in the stomach, a few centimeters below the esophagus, made a small round opening. A row of surgical staples creates a small vertical pouch from the opening in the stomach to the esophagus. This new stomach pouch can hold about 15-30 grams of solid food.
A band is then placed through the opening and around the exit of the gastric pouch. This strap prevents the exit of the bag from being stretched. The band also controls the size of the opening between the pouch and the stomach. This delays the emptying of the bag and gives the patient a feeling of satiety. After surgery, the patient should adjust his/her eating habits. Risks include belt breakage and staple separation.
