What Is the Purpose of Stomach Stapling?

Vertical banded gastroplasty, also called stomach stapling, is a form of bariatric surgery; the purpose of bariatric surgery is to promote weight loss. Most bariatric surgery works by controlling hunger by shrinking the effective size of the stomach.

Procedure

• Stomach stapling involves using a synthetic band and staples to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach that will fill up quickly when food is consumed.

Effects

• The small pouch created by the procedure causes patients to feel full after consume much less food than normal, which allows for easier portion control which promotes weight loss.

Benefits

• Stomach stapling can be very effective in promoting weight loss, which can lead to other benefits such as reduced chances of heart disease and cancer.

Risks

• Stomach stapling carries risks such as infection from surgery, band slippage and damage to the stomach. Anesthesia administered to carry out the surgery can also cause death in rare cases.

Limitations

• Bariatric surgery such as stomach stapling is usually reserved for morbidly obese patients--those whose weight poses a serious health threat and who have failed at other weight loss methods.