Gastric Banding vs. Bypass

By Quinn Phillips Last week, Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey revealed to the public that he underwent bariatric (weight-loss) surgery earlier this year. Rather than opting for the more popular gastric bypass procedure, Christie went for gastric banding. Originally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001, gastric banding involves constricting the top of the stomach with an adjustable band, creating a small pouch that heavily restricts food intake. In 2011, the FDA approved the procedure for adults with a body-mass index less than 40, the previously approved threshold for the surgery. Gastric banding is often touted as the least invasive, least complication-prone form of bariatric surgery. Dr. Richard Besser, chief health and medical correspondent for ABC News, essentially affirmed this view in an article published the day of Christie's announcement. Yet there is evidence that gastric banding is less effective than gastric bypass, both at inducing weight loss and at resolving Type 2 diabetes — an outcome that occurs in as many as 85% of people with diabetes who undergo gastric bypass. A graphic comparison of gastric banding with gastric bypass (along with a third procedure, sleeve gastrectomy), including illustrations that show what each surgery entails and a chart of details and outcomes of each surgery, is offered by Realize, the maker of adjustable gastric bands. This comparison shows that while gastric banding is less invasive and surgicall...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs