Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in adolescents

Gastric band placement developed as a means of limiting the amount of solid food that enters the stomach, relying on the principle of reducing caloric intake by reducing food volume. By making it difficult for a patient to swallow a large bite of food, one ideally could learn to change eating behavior to take smaller bites and eat more slowly in order to avoid the unpleasant sensation of food backing up at the level of the restriction. Limiting intake should result in weight loss. This article reviews the history of gastric band surgery, the operation and follow-up care, complications associated with gastric banding, and results to date.