Even though the initial pouch is about 15-20 ml, or the size of a man's thumb, it is rare to encounter a patient who complains about not getting enough to eat.

Post operative considerations:

Diabetics who have previously been on insulin should be managed carefully with a ‘sliding scale’ protocol to avoid hypoglycaemia. It is not unusual for a patient to drop from 90 units per day to 8 units on the first post-operative day and require no more anti-diabetic therapy after four days.

Patients should undertake regular exercise as soon as reasonable, once their weight drops by 30-40 kg. Fizzy drinks should be avoided and caffeine and cigarettes intake minimised. Your oesophagus should be checked on a yearly basis with an X-ray as the oesophagus may widen or distend if the band is kept very tight for more than a year. Should that occur, relaxing the band for a few months will take care of the problem.

When you consider the possible complications of morbid obesity such as:DiabetesHypertensionCoronary heart diseaseStrokeAsthmaSleep apneaOsteoarthritis (Back, hip and knee pain)Stomach cancerUterine cancerColon cancerBreast CancerProstate cancerPulmonary FailureImmune suppressionReflux (heartburn)Stress incontinenceHerniasVaricose veinsHaemorrhoidsPulmonary embolismNon-alcoholic steatosis (liver scarring)Hypercoagulable statesIncreased accident ratePeripheral atherosclerosisInfertility and impotenceLoss of the menstrual periodUterine bleedingDepressionGallbladder diseaseSkin infectionsFocal glomerulonephritis (kidney failure)Abnormal cholesterolSoft tissue infections

.. you can then understand that gastric banding, while it has some risks (that are minimized in the hands of our excellent surgeon working with his strong team) carries a lot less risk than staying obese, or worse still - continuing to gain weight.