Lap Band With Saline

Once the port and band are inside the Lap Band patient, the doctor then injects saline into the port to inflate the band, which makes the route to the stomach smaller, further limiting the amount of food intake.

Draining saline through the port deflates the band, increasing the route into the stomach, allowing for added food intake. The amount of time for the Lap Band Technique generally lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, and may or may not need an overnight hospital stay depending on each patient’s case.

In the months following the Lap Band Technique, periodic office visits are needed to adjust the band for each patient's specific requirements. The attending medical person will gently pierce the skin with a needle, into the reservoir or port just beneath the skin, and inject or drain saline. The band adjustment is another advantage with the Lap Band Technique that makes the procedure popular with people looking to lose weight.