Gastric Band or Stomach Balloon?

How do you choose?

At The National Obesity Surgery Centre, we understand that many of our prospective patients find their potential options somewhat bewildering.

We include the following table to summarise the relative merits of both the adjustable gastric band and the stomach balloon.

Stomach Balloon	Adjustable Gastric Band
Best option for patients with a BMI under 35	Best option for patients with a BMI over 35
Definite role for some patients with BMI over 35	Definite role for some patients with BMI under 35
Day Case – discharged usually within an hour	Usually One Night Stay
Takes 10 minutes	Takes about 1 hour
Local Anaesthetic Throat Spray +/- Sedation	General Anaesthetic
No Surgery whatsoever – very simple endoscopic procedure – placed and removed through mouth	Requires Laparoscopic (keyhole) Surgery
No procedure actually inside your abdominal cavity – almost zero placement complication rate in experienced hands	Requires the band be passed through your abdominal cavity and around your stomach – minimal but recognised placement complication rate in experienced hands
Considered a minor medical procedure	Considered a “proper” surgical operation
Requires an intense behaviour modification programme – the balloon does some of the work; but you have to put the effort in too!!	Requires a less intensive programme – even though you still have to put a lot of effort in, the band does do more of the work for you!!
Removed after 6 months	Can remain in place indefinitely
Non-adjustable	Adjustable
Works by significantly restricting the capacity of your stomach so that you eat less and feel fuller quicker	Works by severely restricting the capacity of your stomach so that you are only able to eat very tiny amounts
Does not work by causing malabsorption	Does not work by causing malabsorption
Easily reversed by simple endoscopic puncture and removal	Relatively easily reversed by further laparoscopic keyhole surgery
Technology very well tried and tested for safety and effectiveness	Technology very well tried and tested for safety and effectiveness
Very few longer term risks and complications	Well recognised longer term risks and complications, but uncommon in experienced hands
Excellent for patients with less of a weight problem who want an intense period of fast weight loss and who understand that they must keep to a sensible eating programme afterwards	Excellent for patients with a more severe weight problem, who understand that they are going to need a long term solution to their long term weight problem
Aimed at producing a healthy relationship with food	Aimed at significantly restricting the patient’s capacity to eat
Most patients eat “normal” food – just less of it	Most patients have to eat blended or pureed food for short periods
Very high patient satisfaction rate	Very high patient satisfaction rate