- Adjustable ring around the top of the stomach.
- No longer a standard operation in the Netherlands.
- Common problems: reflux, vomiting, band slippage.
- Removal and conversion to a bypass is common.
- Can stay in place during pregnancy and be loosened.
How does a gastric band work?
The band is placed laparoscopically around the upper stomach and connected to a small port under the skin. By injecting or removing fluid through that port, the band is made tighter or looser. You feel full after a small amount of food because it passes the narrow opening slowly.
Unlike a sleeve or bypass, the band barely changes gut hormones. That is one reason why its effect is weaker and less lasting, and why it has disappeared as a standard option in Dutch hospitals.
Why did Dutch hospitals stop placing gastric bands?
After several years, many people with a band developed problems such as reflux, frequent vomiting, slippage of the band or an enlarged pouch, and weight often returned. Many bands had to be removed. Hospitals such as the Catharina Hospital now regularly remove bands in order to perform a bypass later.
What if you still have a gastric band?
If the band works well and causes no problems, it can stay. During pregnancy it can remain in place and be loosened if needed, according to Vitalys. If you have reflux, vomiting or regained weight, discuss removal or conversion with a bariatric centre.
The Flevoziekenhuis describes that removing the band and creating a bypass can usually be done in one operation, but sometimes in two steps when the stomach first needs to recover. Converting a band to a bypass is one of the most common revision operations in the Netherlands.
Advantages and points of attention: gastric band
Advantages
| Advantage | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Reversible | the band can be removed |
| Adjustable | tightened or loosened via a port |
| No stapling | stomach and intestine stay intact |
| Can stay in pregnancy | and be loosened (Vitalys) |
Points of attention
| Point of attention | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Weaker effect | hardly changes gut hormones |
| Long-term problems | reflux, vomiting, slippage |
| Frequent removal | reason it was abandoned |
| Regular adjustments | port visits needed |
Cost and insurance (2026)
New bands are no longer a standard covered operation. Removal or conversion with a medical reason is usually covered.
| Item | Amount or arrangement |
|---|---|
| Removal or conversion (medical reason) | basic package, €385 deductible |
| New band as standard treatment | no longer offered |
| Vitamins after conversion to bypass | about €10-€15 a month |
Gastric band: key figures
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Status in the Netherlands | abandoned as standard |
| Most common revision | band to bypass (Vitalys) |
| Conversion | usually one operation, sometimes two (Flevoziekenhuis) |
| Pregnancy | band can stay and be loosened |
| Effect on hormones | limited |
Gastric band compared with sleeve and bypass
| Feature | Gastric band | Sleeve / Bypass |
|---|---|---|
| Effect on gut hormones | limited | significant |
| Reversible | yes | no / technically |
| Long-term results | weaker | stronger |
| Standard in NL | no | yes |
Step by step
- Symptoms?. Note reflux, vomiting or regain.
- GP. Ask for a referral to a bariatric centre.
- Assessment. Imaging and screening of the band.
- Choice. Remove only, or convert to a bypass.
- Aftercare. As for a bypass after conversion.
Read next
- Revision surgery: band to bypass — conversion
- Gastric bypass after a band — the usual next step
- Types of weight loss surgery — current options
- Cost and insurance — coverage
Symptoms that are a reason to have your band checked
Frequent vomiting, food getting stuck, heartburn at night, coughing when lying down or increasing weight are signs that the band or the pouch above it no longer works as intended. So is sudden pain at the port under the skin.
Do not adjust your eating to work around these symptoms for years. Ask your GP for a referral to a bariatric centre. Imaging shows whether the band has slipped or the pouch has widened, after which you and the team decide on loosening, removal or conversion to a bypass.
A band during pregnancy
If you become pregnant with a gastric band, inform your bariatric centre early. The band can usually stay in place and be loosened if you vomit often or cannot eat enough, so that you and your baby get enough nutrients.
Frequently asked questions about the gastric band
Hardly. The gastric band has been abandoned as a standard treatment because many bands had to be removed after a few years. Dutch centres now offer the sleeve, bypass, mini bypass and SADI.
Its effect is weaker and less lasting because it hardly changes gut hormones, and long-term problems such as reflux, vomiting and slippage were common.
Not if it works well and causes no problems. With reflux, frequent vomiting or weight regain, discuss removal or conversion with a bariatric centre.
Yes, this is one of the most common revision operations. It can usually be done in one operation, sometimes in two steps when the stomach needs to recover first.
With a medical reason, removal or conversion is usually covered by the basic package. You pay your deductible, 385 euros in 2026.
Yes. According to Vitalys the band can stay in place during pregnancy and be loosened if necessary. Inform your bariatric centre.
The band shifts down the stomach, making the pouch above it larger. This can cause vomiting and pain and often requires surgery.
Fluid is injected into or removed from a port under the skin, making the band tighter or looser.
Often, if nothing else is done. That is why many people choose conversion to a bypass rather than removal only.
At one of the 20 DATO-certified centres. Check with your insurer which centres are contracted and ask your GP for a referral.
Call +31 6 38048347 (Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00) or email info@maagverkleining-info.nl. This page is also available in Dutch.
Sources
- Vitalys (Rijnstate): redo surgery and pregnancy
- Flevoziekenhuis: gastric band removal and conversion
- Catharina Ziekenhuis: bariatric revision
- Richtlijn Chirurgische behandeling van obesitas, NVvH
Search terms leading here: gastric band Netherlands, lap band removal Netherlands, gastric band to bypass conversion, adjustable gastric band.
Author: Gijs Bodenstaff. Last reviewed: September 2026.