Stomach Stapling  

Stomach stapling is a commonly used term for procedures that doctors call gastric stapling or gastroplasty. 

Stomach stapling is a surgical procedure which is designed to help morbidly obese people lose weight when more traditional methods like diet changes and exercise have been ineffective. A surgeon places gastric staples in a section of the stomach to reduce its overall size. As a result, the patient doesn't need to eat as much, and feels full much sooner. The stomach, in effect, sends a message to the brain that its full and it's time to stop eating.

There are several types of such surgery, which is known as restrictive surgery because it restricts the volume of food the stomach can accommodate.

Vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) and adjustable gastric banding (AGB) both reduce the stomach. But VBG combines a stapling procedure in addition to a flexible band that goes around the stomach. AGB uses only an inflatable band to reduce the volume of the stomach.

To read related articles, click on stomach surgery and stomach surgery for weight loss.