VERTICAL RING GASTROPLASTY
The Vertical Ring Gastroplasty is a weight-loss surgery that is commonly performed in the United States.
It restricts food intake by shrinking the stomach capacity and limiting the rate that food can enter the stomach. Unlike the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, the small intestine is not rerouted in this procedure.
The surgery begins with a five-inch incision below the breastbone.
The surgeon uses a circular instrument to cut a small window in the stomach and staple it closed.
A small pouch is created at the top of the stomach using a different cutting and stapling device. This reduces the stomach capacity to one or two ounces.
Finally a polypropylene mesh or a silastic ring is threaded through the hole in the stomach and around the outside. Then the mesh or ring is connected to narrow the bottom of the pouch. This reduces the flow of food from the pouch, causing the patient to feel full after eating a few bites of food.
Weight loss varies depending on your age, weight, ability to exercise, and how well you follow doctor's orders. In general, however, patients lose between 40 to 63% of their excess body weight following Vertical Ring Gastroplasty.