What is the Gastric Band?

A gastric band is a silicone balloon placed around the top of the stomach in order to induce weight loss through portion restriction and the induction of satiety in between meals.

In order to adjust the volume of fluid in the band a length of tubing is connected from the balloon to a port which is placed on the muscle under the skin which can be accessed by a medical practitioner to insert or withdraw fluid from the balloon.

What types of gastric bands are there?

There are many brands of adjustable gastric band available for use.

The most common brands in use in Australia are the Lap Band ® system (Allergan) and the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (Ethicon) system. Other brands include MidbandTM and Heliogast (Helioscopie). The Lap Band system comes in two sizes; APS (small) and APL (large). Both the Lap Band system and the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB) have many years of study behind them and appear to be equally acceptable in terms of their weight loss outcomes and complication profile.

The access ports are slightly different in profile. The amount of fluid which each gastric band takes varies slightly.

Selection of gastric band type is usually by surgeon preference.

Lap Band ® (Allergan) or LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System®		Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (Obtech/Ethicon Endosurgery)
MIDbandTM Gastric Band		Heliogast Gastric Band

For more information on weight loss surgery please call us on 03 9895 7215