Gastric Clamp

What is Gastric Clamp?

Gastric clamp  is a treatment method applied to obesity patients who cannot get results with diet, sports and other obesity treatments. With this method, it is aimed to get rid of excess weight in about 1 year. The gastric banding method is applied to obese patients who are at least 40-50 kilos more than their ideal weight. The surgery is performed with the laparoscopic method and is a surgical operation that takes approximately 1 hour. General anesthesia is applied to the person to be operated. During the surgery, several surgical incisions are made in the patient’s abdomen, and the stomach is reached and a clamp is attached. The recovery period after surgery is short and the patient can be discharged within 1-2 days.

The clamp worn during the surgery is a band made of a silicone material, so it is a procedure that is applied without damaging the stomach and other organs. It is a silicone material of approximately 10 cm long and 1 cm wide of the gastric band. It is a material that is inserted by reaching the stomach through the incisions made during the surgery  . The clamp is placed a few centimeters below the junction of the stomach and esophagus and tightened.

Thus, a walnut-sized chamber is formed at the entrance of the stomach. The consumed foods first enter this chamber and the passage of the foods to the stomach at a normal rate is prevented. Food passes into the stomach more slowly and less. Thus, the patient is weakened in a short time. Foods that pass into the stomach slowly  provide a feeling of fullness for a longer time  . Thus, obese patients consume less food and feel less hungry.

What Does a Gastric Clamp Do?

Stomach clamp ; It allows people who cannot get results with sports, diet and other obesity treatments to get rid of excess weight in a short time like 1 year. Since there is no intervention to organs and tissues in gastric band surgery, it carries less risk than other stomach operations. In addition, with gastric band surgery, besides obesity, additional diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure and heart diseases can be eliminated.

How Many Weight Should I Have for a Gastric Clamp?

A person must have a body mass index of 40 and above in order to be fitted with a gastric sleeve. A person with a body mass index  of 35 and above must have additional diseases related to obesity in order to be handcuffed. For people with a body mass index of 30 and above, diet and sports treatment is recommended under the supervision of a doctor, surgery is not recommended.

To Whom Is Gastric Clamp Applied?

Gastric clamp application is applied to obese patients between the ages of 18-65 and having a body mass index of 40 and above. However, in order for this surgery to take place, the patient should not have any other health problems that would prevent the surgery. In order for patients aged 15-18 to be cuffed, they must comply with parental consent and other criteria mentioned above. The person to be operated should not have a negative situation against general anesthesia.

Gastric clamping can also be applied to patients with a body mass index of 35 and above, however, certain conditions must be met for this. These people must first have additional diseases caused by obesity. For example, a person with a body mass index of 38, who has diabetes and blood pressure  diseases due to obesity  , can have gastric band surgery. Obese people with chronic diseases and other important diseases can have gastric band surgery if the doctor approves after the preliminary evaluation and follow-up process. For super morbid obese patients, clamp alone may not be sufficient. For this reason, it is very important that all tests are done by the doctor.

The person who will undergo gastric band surgery  should not have chronic  alcohol or drug addiction. In addition, the obesity problem of the person to be handcuffed should not be due to hormonal problems, but due to excessive weight due to eating habits. Gastric clamp operation is not performed for people with gastric hernia and ulcer.

Gastric Clamp Removal

 The procedure for removing the gastric band  is generally the same as for the first operation. In other words, if the clamp was attached with the laparoscopic method, the removal of the clamp is also done by the laparoscopic method. However, there are cases where the clamp is attached by open surgery and removed by laparoscopic method.

If the person whose gastric band is to be removed has low adhesion in the abdomen and does not migrate, the surgery is performed very easily and quickly. These operations take about half an hour and the patient can be discharged 1 day after the operation. During the surgery, the connective tissue around the clamp is first opened, the sutures to which the clamp is attached, if any, are cut, then the clamp is cut and removed. Cuff removal surgery has extremely low risks.

Removal of the gastric band is basically divided into two reasons. Reasons for removal of the gastric band; Complications in the body and  insufficient weight  loss. There is always a possibility that the patient will have revision surgery after the clamp is removed. In people who need revision surgery, revision can be done right after the clamp removal process. However, in patients with severe migration and complications, revision surgery is recommended after 6 months.

The operations that can be applied to the patient after the gastric band is removed are as follows:

1. Re-Inserting a Gastric Clamp:  It is possible to have a new gastric clamp attached to the patient by removing the old gastric clamp. It is known that the success rate of the clamp, which is put on the patients for the second time, is similar to the first. Therefore, it is not recommended to wear a second handcuff to people who have not been successful with the first handcuff. This method is generally recommended in cases where people who have successfully lost weight want to maintain their weight loss in case the clamp is punctured and complications occur.
2. Revision from Gastric Clamp to Gastric Tube Stomach Surgery:  This is the surgery recommended for people who can’t get enough or no results with gastric banding. The weight loss of patients who have sleeve gastrectomy surgery after cuff surgery reaches 60%. It is a method that provides successful results in people who cannot get sufficient results with clamps.
3. Revision from Gastric Clamp to Gastric Bypass Surgery:  This method, which is applied after gastric clamp surgery, is highly preferred and provides 70% weight loss in patients.
4. Revision from Gastric Clamp to Duodenal Switch Surgery:  This method provides more weight loss than gastric bypass, but the complication rates are also higher.
5. Revision from Gastric Clamp to Experimental Procedures:  Methods such as Endobarrier gastrointestinal liner, gastric plication (stomach folding), implantable Maestro System, POSE (Endoscopic Primary Obesity Surgery), Apollo are still in the experimental stage.

How Should Nutrition Be After Gastric Clamping?

Liquid nutrition  (milk, tea, water, coffee, broth and chicken broth) for 1-3 days after surgery,  semi-solid foods (heavy soups, compote, yoghurt, baby food, puree) for 3-5 days, and small meals after the 6th day. Solid nutrition can be made in pieces. However, it is wrong to consume very dry and high-fiber foods immediately during the post-operative nutrition process. By testing yourself, you can learn which foods, how much and how often you should consume and what you should pay attention to in your nutrition program. After the surgery, all meals should be consumed very slowly and chewed a lot. In later times, a nutrition program should be created with the help of a specialist.

Is There a Risk of Gastric Clamp ?

Gastric clamp surgery is a surgical operation and as with any surgical operation, it carries some risks. These risks usually consist of conditions such as respiratory distress caused by anesthesia. In addition, as with any surgical operation, there are risks of bleeding and embolism. The specific risks of gastric sleeve surgery are:

• The slip of the clamp from the placed area,
• Stomach ulcer,
• Infection,
• Irritation of the stomach wall by the clamp,
• Allergic conditions to silicone material, albeit very rarely,
• Damage to other organs or tissues during the operation,
• Tightening the clamp more or less than it should be.

Losing too much weight  too quickly after surgery  may pose risks of gallstone formation. Failure of the operation may cause risks such as dizziness, sweating, extreme hunger, and insulin sensitivity. After upper abdominal surgery, diseases such as bleeding, shoulder pain, pneumonia, stroke or heart attack can be seen rarely.

Gastric Clamp Prices

Gastric clamp operation prices; It varies in line with factors such as the hospital where the surgery is performed, the expertise of the doctor who will perform the surgery, and the equipment to be used during the surgery. You can get the most accurate information from your clinic.