You’ve had a Gastric Band. Can you have a Sleeve Gastrectomy?

If you have had a gastric band, are you a candidate for a sleeve gastrectomy? Usually, the answer is yes. If the gastric band is still in, then the first step will be to take it out. If you wanted to have a sleeve gastrectomy, you would usually have to wait 1 to 3 months after the gastric band has been removed. So a sleeve gastrectomy after gastric band removal is usually possible, yet there are situations where it may be diagnosed as unsafe and impossible.

The gastric band is not just wrapped around the top of the stomach ; there is also a fold of stomach over the band. This is why, with a gastric band removal, we need to remove all the sutures around the band, which are holding it in place.

Then, you will be asked to wait 1 to 3 months before planning your sleeve gastrectomy procedure.This is too allow the scar tissue to become less thick, fibrous and inflamed in the region we will have to come back and staple through.

When things have settled down, your stomach will have, hopefully, gone back to its normal format. Then, if your surgeon has established that it is safe to proceed, we will staple along your stomach and remove ¾ to complete the sleeve procedure . We believe that delaying the sleeve procedure may reduce the risk of having a sleeve leak which can be a significant complication.

In specific situations, about 1 in 10 patients, it is not possible to have a sleeve gastrectomy after a gastric band removal, simply because the procedure wouldn’t be safe for the patient. If a band has been there for too long, the procedure could cause excessive scarring and create higher leakage risks. 

At Advance Surgical Perth, we offer a range of surgical procedures. If you suffer from obesity, chances are you also experience other health challenges, such as diabetes, mobility issues or hypertension.

Our team of surgeons, dietitians and clinical psychologists helps you along the journey, to make well informed decisions, and to get clarity on the recommended lifestyle changes before and after your surgery.

At Advance Surgical, we are a team of highly qualified and experienced professionals. We founded our clinic because we believe that patients deserve reliable, high quality obesity surgery solutions in case diet and lifestyle changes just are not working. If you have a gastric band, and wanted to find out whether you could have a sleeve gastrectomy after your gastric band has been removed, speak to our team at Advance Surgical.