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First pioneered in Sweden in 1985, gastric banding is quite a new form of surgery for weight loss. In the beginning, the band was however designed to meet the requirements of open surgery. France, in 2000, saw the first performance of a laparoscopic insertion of a gastric band. In 2001, the approval of an American adjustable gastric banding system by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for usage in the United States resulted into a worldwide acceptance of the procedure by laparoscopy hospitals.

A lot of surgeons have started to favor this procedure which involves a laparoscopic gastric band that is adjustable as it helps in averting several of the nutritional complications related to mal-absorption surgeries. It does not require any stapling or cutting of the stomach. The added benefit of performing this procedure is that being laparoscopic; the death rate gets reduced to almost one-tenth of what it used to be with the open Roux-en-Y form of surgery. As a result, this procedure has been incorporated in almost all laparoscopy training programs.

This procedure is a highly agreeable option when considered from the patient’s perspective as well as it translates into a shorter stay in the hospital and a much speedier recovery. Even after the band is placed, the surgeon can still make adjustments without further surgery. This enables the surgeon to better control the management of the patient in the crucial period after surgery which makes it possible to respond faster when complications and problems arise. Moreover, this procedure is totally reversible and the stomach can go back to the normal state without any side effects.
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