Gastric Banding Toronto
Gastric banding procedures at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic take about 1.5 hours and are performed as an outpatient operation. Patients typically go home 2-3 hours after the gastric banding procedure. Results vary but the average weight loss is 60% of the excessive body weight over 2 years. Initial follow up visits are monthly and then every 2-3 months to adjust the band until the patient has achieved the satisfactory weight loss.
Gastric Banding Costs :
The total cost is $16,000 which includes the band, hospital fees, anesthesia fee and surgical fees. There is no charge for routine follow-up visits.
Gastric Banding Financing Available:
While the gastric banding at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic at is not covered by OHIP, for those who qualify, medical loans are available. Please call the office for details.
Dr. Tin in the Hospital News:
Please refer to the “Gastric banding – A Weight Los Strategy for the Morbidly Obese” A Credit to your Health, a publication of the Credit Valley Hospital, Spring 2006/ Volume 8 issue 2:
Who are the typical patients for Adjustable Gastric Banding?
- You are at least 100 lbs. (45 kilos) more than your ideal weight.
- Your BMI is >45 or >40 with co-morbidity such as high blood pressure, Type II diabetes or arthritis
-You have been overweight for more than 5 years.
-Your serious attempts to lose weight have had only short term success.
-You are not suffering from any other disease which could have caused you to be overweight.
-You are prepared to make substantial changes in your eating habits and lifestyle, and to continue being monitored by the specialist treating you.
-You do not drink alcohol in excess or other high caloric liquid.
Short-term gastric banding complications:
Vomiting
Most patients will once or twice feel pain or vomit after intake of food. In most cases, it is caused by eating too much and too fast. If eating is slow and calm, patients will learn to listen to the signals from the stomach. Regular and persistent vomiting is a sign of warning. This can either be caused by incorrect eating behavior or by the outflow of the gastric pouch becoming too narrow. This means that the band may need to be adjusted. Call your doctor immediately.
Constipation
Many patients feel constipated after surgery. This is mainly caused by the fact that the reduced food intake leads to less feces and it is thus normal with fewer bowel movements. If laxatives become necessary, it is advisable to abstain from so called bulking agents and instead use liquid laxatives, such as lactulose.
Hair loss
Some patients will experience temporary hair loss during the first six months after surgery. This is also caused by the relative starvation. This does not lead to baldness. Normal hair growth will eventually return.
Long-term gastric banding complications:
Adjustable gastric banding is well tolerated by most patients. Complication rates are low but this does not mean that complications are nonexistent. The following is list of the complications that have been seen following this operation;
1. Infection: Systemic infection or port infection have been reported leading to the removal of the port and or the band.
2. Leakage of the band – very uncommon and will require replacement of the band.
3. Band Migration – very uncommon and will require an operation to re-adjust the band
4. Port mal-position – occurs sometimes after patient lost a lot of weight or the anchoring stitches came loose. This will require a simple local procedure to fix.
Gastric Banding Post-Op Diet
Four Week Post-Op Liquid Diet
You will need to be on a liquid diet for the first four weeks after your surgery. This will allow time for your stomach to heal and the band to anchor. Eating solid foods too quickly can hurt your stomach and the band. It may cause band migration later on.
Liquids include anything you can slurp through a straw. They don't have to be clear liquids. Slim Fast, Boost, Carnation Instant Breakfast and other protein drinks are fine. You can also have tomato soup, creamed soups and even the liquid part of potato soup. A high fiber supplement will help with your bowel movement.
Two Week Pureed Diet
After your four weeks on a liquid diet you will be on pureed foods for two weeks. Pureed foods are foods that don't require hardly any chewing to turn into baby food consistency. Such foods as mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, yogurt, and bananas are good pureed foods. You can also puree chicken and pretty much any other food, but it can change the flavor so not too many people do that!
Then Regular Food
After your liquid and pureed phase you can go back to normal foods. The key in this phase is “Chew, Chew and Chew”. The amount of fill in your band may vary from 2 to 8 c.c. Some people need a lot of fill and some people need only a little.
The biggest challenge to most bandsters is learning to CHEW CHEW CHEW! If you don't chew your food extremely well you will have a very difficult time eating non-mushy foods. Most bandsters spit food back up that has not been chewed well enough, or has been eaten too fast. PBing stands for "Productive Burping". Most bandsters don't actually throw up their food; they kind of burp it up. There's no stomach acid at this point and pretty much the food tastes the same coming back up. If this happens to you, chew better next time.
Typical Food with problem:
Thick Bread (such as Italian and French).
Pasta and popcorn
White Rice is better tolerated
Dry Meats - moist meat slides better. Steak is hard to chew well but it can be done
Milk – generally acceptable. Soda Pop - the carbonation will cause discomfort
Vegetables – generally fine
Oranges & other citrus fruits - the fiber makes it hard to chew well
The band will not work if you drink milk shakes and eat chocolate all day. Remember the band is a simple restrictive device that your body will learn to work with to help you lose weight on a long term basis.
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