With a gastric banding procedure, the stomach size is restricted with an adjustable ring, or band.

More than 200,000 weight loss surgeries are performed annually in the U.S. and more people are choosing banding procedures over gastric bypasses.

When the two main techniques are compared, gastric bypass procedures are found to lead to 30% more weight loss than banding procedures one year after surgery.

Since the adjustable gastric banding procedure does not require cutting or stapling of the stomach, it is less invasive than gastric bypass or vertical banded gastroplasty.

Dr. George Fielding performed the banding procedure hundreds of times in Australia before it was approved in the United States in 2001.

Surgeries like gastric bypass that affect digestion tend to result in faster and greater weight loss than adjustable banding procedures.

Improvements in health after adjustable banding procedures may be more gradual.

The gastric banding procedure involves the following:

Health care providers who choose to promote the gastric banding procedure are required to educate patients about the risks involved, which must also be included in any advertising and promotional materials.