After the Procedure:

You will probably go home the day after your surgery. Many patients are able to begin their normal activities 1 or 2 days after going home. Most people take 1 week off from work.

You will stay on liquids or mashed-up foods for 2 or 3 weeks after surgery. You will slowly add soft foods and then regular foods to your diet. By 6 weeks after surgery you will probably be able to eat regular foods.

The band is made of a special rubber (silastic rubber). The inside of the band has an inflatable balloon. This allows the band to be adjusted. You and your doctor can decide to loosen or tighten it in the future so you can eat more or less food.

The band is connected to an access port that is under the skin on your belly. The band can be tightened by placing a needle into the port and filling the balloon (band) with water.

Your surgeon can make the band tighter or looser any time after you have this surgery. It may be tightened or loosened if you are:

• Having problems eating
• Not losing enough weight
• Vomiting after you eat

Outlook (Prognosis):

The final weight loss with gastric banding is not as large as with gastric bypass The average weight loss is about one-third to one-half of the extra weight you are carrying. This may be enough for many patients. Talk with your doctor about which procedure is best for you.

The weight will usually come off more slowly than with gastric bypass. You should keep losing weight for up to 3 years.

Losing enough weight after surgery can improve many medical conditions you might also have, such as:

• Asthma
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Sleep apnea
• Type 2 diabetes

Weighing less should also make it much easier for you to move around and do your everyday activities.

This surgery alone is not a solution to losing weight. It can train you to eat less, but you still have to do much of the work. To lose weight and avoid complications from the procedure, you will need to follow the exercise and eating guidelines that your doctor and dietitian gave you.