The adjustable gastric band procedure is used to restrict and decrease food ingestion without interfering with the digestive process. A hollow band of a special material is placed around the stomach, near to its upper end, creating a small bag and a narrow duct to the other portion of the stomach. This small duct delays the emptying of food from the bag, causing a “full stomach” feeling.
The band can be tightened of loosened over time to adjust the size of the duct. Initially, the bag holds around 28g of food (1 Oz) and is later expanded to 57 to 85g (2 – 3 Oz).