The gastric band is usually fitted using keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery. Your operation will usually take 30 minutes to one hour.

Your surgeon will make a four to five small cuts on your upper abdomen. He or she will then use small instruments that are guided by a special telescope with a camera to secure the band around the top part of your stomach. The band is locked so that it can’t come undone. Afterwards, the cuts are closed with two or three stitches.

The size of the opening from the pouch determines how quickly food leaves your stomach and is adjusted by adding or removing fluid to/from the band. A thin tube connects the band to an access port that has been placed under the skin. The band is adjusted by your practitioner around four weeks after the operation, leaving time for the swelling caused by the surgery to settle down. You are likely to have your band adjusted two or three times in the first few months after your operation.  Individuals differ significantly on this and your own feelings of satiety and the food you eat regularly will be assessed before and adjustment is performed.