Stomach surgery uses single incision

University of Missouri surgeon is the first in the state to perform gastric band weight-loss surgery using a single incision.

The procedure wraps an elastic band around the top of the stomach to constrict its size. Patients report feeling full after small servings of food, and many lose 60 percent or more of their excess body weight ? sometimes more than 100 pounds ? within two years of surgery. The procedure was approved by the FDA in 2001 and has gained in popularity in recent years as a less-drastic alternative to gastric bypass surgery, commonly known as ?stomach stapling.?  Click here for full article.