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Think twice about gastric banding

People who undergo surgery to have gastric bands placed around their stomach in hopes of slimming down often need additional operations to move or remove the device, revealed a new study.

About one in five people required additional procedures within five years of receiving a gastric band, researchers found.

Complications can sometimes require additional operations. For example, the band can erode into the stomach or slip down and cause an obstruction.

"Bands have really gone out of style," said senior author, Dr Justin Dimick, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

"If you're offered one, you should think twice about it, because most surgeons have stopped using them."

Instead of gastric banding, an operation called a gastric bypass is considered the gold standard for weight-loss surgery by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the National Institutes of Health.

- REUTERS

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