The benefits of a gastric band are as follows:
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Weight loss. Most weight is lost in the first 1-2 years.
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Follow up data indicate 50-60% of excess weight is lost at 5 years
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Improvements in the “co-morbidities” of obesity – mood, mobility, exercise capacity and sleeping patterns
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Improvements in blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels
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The procedure is fully reversible
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The anatomy of the stomach is not altered in any way
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Short hospital stay (usually overnight)
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Gastric band surgery does not affect the absorption of food and nutrients through the intestines
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In the hands of a good surgeon this is a low risk procedure
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For some, gastric banding is not merely life-transforming, but life-saving
