Description of the Procedure To prepare you for surgery, a nurse
will place an IV line in your arm. You may receive fluids and
medicines through this line during the procedure. The doctor
will place a breathing tube through your mouth and into your
windpipe. This will help you breathe during surgery. You will
also have a catheter placed in your bladder to drain urine. The
doctor will make several small (keyhole) cuts in the abdomen.
Gas will be pumped in to inflate your abdomen. This will make it
easier for the doctor to see. A laparoscope and surgical tools
will be inserted through the incisions. A laparoscope is a thin,
lighted tool with a tiny camera. It sends images of your
abdominal cavity to a monitor in the operating room. Your doctor
will operate while viewing the area on this monitor. An
adjustable round band is placed around the top of the stomach
and fastened into place. This creates a smaller stomach area for
food. Tubing is placed from the band to an access port in the
abdominal wall. The band ca