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Restrictive operations: Stomach stapling (vertical banded gastroplasty) or gastric banding

Surgery Overview

Restrictive operations make the stomach smaller. With a smaller stomach, you will feel full a lot quicker than you are used to. This means that you will need to make big lifelong changes in how you eat—including smaller portion sizes and different foods—in order to lose weight. The most common restrictive surgery is adjustable gastric banding.

Stomach stapling (vertical banded gastroplasty)

In stomach stapling (vertical banded gastroplasty), an incision is made in the abdomen. Surgical staples and a plastic band are used to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach. This pouch is not completely closed off from the rest of the stomach. A small opening, about 0.25 in.(6.35 mm) across, allows the partially digested food to move into the rest of the stomach and then into the intestines. The size of the pouch is small enough that you can eat only 0.5 cup(118.3 mL) to 1 cup(236.6 mL) of food before feeling uncomfortable.

See a picture of stomach stapling .

Gastric banding

Gastric banding was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001.

In this operation, a small band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch. As with stomach stapling, the small size of the pouch means that you feel full sooner. But the band can be adjusted in size by inflating or deflating the band. This allows the health professional to adjust the size of the opening between the pouch and the stomach.

See a picture of gastric banding .

These procedures can be done by making a large incision in the abdomen (an open procedure) or by making several small incisions and using small instruments and a camera to guide the surgery (laparoscopic approach).

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