Vertical Banded Gastroplasty

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) is a purely restrictive procedure. In this procedure the upper stomach near the oesophagus is stapled vertically for about 6cm to create a smaller stomach pouch. The outlet from the pouch is restricted by a band or ring that slows the emptying of the food and thus creates the feeling of fullness. Click to view an interactive animation of the VBG procedure.

Advantages

• The primary advantage of this restrictive procedure is that a reduced amount of well-chewed food enters and passes through the digestive tract in the usual order. That allows the nutrients and vitamins (as well as the calories) to be fully absorbed into the body.
• After 5 years, studies show that patients can maintain 50% of targeted excess weight loss. (3)

Risks

• Postoperatively, stapling of the stomach carries with it the risk of staple-line disruption that can result in leakage and/or serious infection. This may require prolonged hospitalization with antibiotic treatment and/or additional operations.
• Staple-line disruption may also, in the long-term, lead to weight gain. For these reasons, some surgeons divide the staple-line wall of the pouch from the rest of the stomach to reduce the risk of long-term staple-line disruption.
• The band or ring applied may lead to complications of obstruction or perforation, requiring surgical intervention.