- Home
- Procedures
- Adjustable gastric band in Tijuana
Adjustable gastric band in Tijuana
Placement of a band around the upper part of the stomach to create a small pouch that limits the amount of food that can be eaten. It is reversible and is indicated today in selected cases.
How the gastric band works
An adjustable silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch above it. That pouch fills with very little food and produces a sense of fullness; food then passes slowly into the rest of the stomach through the channel the band leaves.
The band connects to a small port placed under the skin, through which saline can be injected or withdrawn to adjust the diameter of the channel. That adjustment is made in clinic, without surgery, and allows the restriction to be tuned over time. Unlike the sleeve and the bypass, nothing here is cut or rerouted: the anatomy stays intact and the procedure is reversible by removing the device.
Advantages, limits, and why it is used less than before
The advantages are clear: it is the least invasive of the three bariatric procedures, it does not alter the anatomy, it is adjustable and it is reversible. In selected patients, with very close follow-up and good dietary discipline, it can give satisfactory results.
The other side has to be said too, because honest information is part of consent: weight loss is usually smaller and slower than with sleeve or bypass; it requires frequent adjustments and therefore many more visits; and there are device-specific complications, such as band slippage, pouch dilatation or port problems, which in some cases require removal. For these reasons it has been indicated less frequently than the gastric sleeve in recent years.
Who it can suit
It remains a reasonable alternative for the patient who does not accept an irreversible procedure, for someone whose surgical risk makes the shortest and least invasive option preferable, and for someone willing to attend adjustment and follow-up visits consistently.
It is not a good option for someone seeking rapid weight loss, for someone who cannot attend frequent visits, or for someone whose eating pattern is based on very calorific liquid meals, which pass through the band without producing satiety. That assessment is made in clinic, and saying it plainly is part of the job.
What the procedure involves
When it is indicated
- Obesity in a patient who prefers a reversible procedure
- Surgical risk favouring the shortest procedure
- Patient with good dietary discipline and willingness for close follow-up
- Explicit refusal of permanent anatomical modification
- Selected cases as a step before another procedure
- Need for removal or revision of a previously placed band
Techniques and resources
- Adjustable silicone gastric band
- Subcutaneous adjustment port
- Laparoscopic tower
- Sterile saline for calibration
- Radiological control where required
Frequently asked questions about gastric band surgery
Yes, and that is its main advantage: it is the only one of the three bariatric procedures that is reversible. The device is removed laparoscopically and the anatomy of the stomach remains intact.
Generally yes: loss is usually smaller and slower than with a gastric sleeve or bypass. In exchange it is less invasive and reversible. That trade-off is exactly what is discussed in clinic before deciding.
Adjustments are scheduled according to each patient's response, and they are frequent during the first year. Someone who cannot commit to attending those visits is not a good candidate for this procedure: without adjustments, the band does not work.
Bring your studies and settle the question
One consultation with your ultrasound or CT in hand is worth more than ten internet searches. Book by phone or through the form and you will be told what is there, what it means and what your options are.