Gastric banding is a restrictive surgical procedure. During this procedure, two medical devices are implanted in the patient: a silicone band and an injection port. The silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach and molds the stomach into two connected chambers. The injection port is attached to the abdominal wall, underneath the skin. The port is connected to the band with soft, thin tubing.
The band is adjustable. Adjustments are made by your healthcare professional using a needle to inject saline solution into your band through the port. Adding saline increases the amount of restriction provided by the band, helping patients feel fuller sooner and with less food.
Qualifying for bariatric surgery includes a process you participate in with our staff. Your health insurance company may require certain steps, but at Stanly Surgical Weight Loss Center, you can expect to do the following:
Stanly Surgical Weight Loss Center holds monthly information seminars for individuals interested in gastric banding. These seminars are held on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in Stanly Regional’s Family & Education Center.
You’ll learn about:
If you are interested in taking the next step, our staff will schedule your first appointment immediately following the seminar. Register for our next seminar here.
You will meet with our nurse practitioner, Patti Shoe at your first visit to discuss your health condition and decide together if bariatric surgery is the best choice for you. Be prepared to tell her your complete medical history by:
Ms. Shoe may order a series of medical tests. These medicals tests are used to diagnose any undetected health conditions, assess whether bariatric surgery is appropriate for you, and ensure that you are properly cared for during surgery. Commonly performed tests include blood tests and upper GI. Psychological and nutritional evaluations are also required.
The psychological evaluation is performed by a behavioral health professional to determine:
After you have completed the initial appointment, nutrition and psychological evaluations, you will be scheduled an appointment with Dr. Mallico.
Stanly Surgical Weight Loss Center will provide you with counseling to guide you through lifestyle changes. Dietary counseling generally is performed by Vicky Kottyan, a registered dietitian on staff at Stanly Regional Medical Center. She will teach you about healthy food choices and good practices, such as measuring portions and keeping a food journal.
After surgery, patients are encouraged to attend our workshops regularly. This is a great opportunity to see the successes and challenges that most bariatric surgery patients face.
The following is a list of topics covered at our workshops: