Adjustable Gastric Band
An adjustable gastric band helps you feel full sooner during a meal, so you can lose weight and keep it off, without having any of your stomach removed. Dr. Jesús Lago has fitted more than 1,500 gastric bands over his career and fits 25 a year at Clínica 3 de Mayo in Madrid, where he also sees patients from the UK, Ireland and beyond.
- All-inclusive price
- €7,950
- Hospital stay
- 24 h
- Recovery
- 3 to 4 days
How a Gastric Band Is Fitted
We place the silicone band around the top of your stomach under general anesthesia, through small incisions (laparoscopy). A thin tube connects it to a port under the skin, which we use to adjust how tight the band is at your clinic appointments, depending on how well you tolerate it and how much weight you are losing. Your stomach is left whole, and the band can be removed if needed.
- Duration
- 45 to 90 min
- Approach
- Laparoscopic (small incisions)
- Anesthesia
- General
What Our Patients Say
4.9 / 5 · Google reviews · Clínica 3 de Mayo“My experience has been great, I'd recommend it 100%. I've lost 50 kilos with the gastric band, and Dr. Lago and Dr. Vázquez are always there for checkups and appointments. I feel supported throughout the whole process, even now that almost 3 years have passed since the operation. Thank you for everything!”
Eva Gonzalez
Gastric band · −50 kg
“Dr. Lago fitted my gastric band 5 years ago and, to this day, whenever I've needed them, they've looked after me wonderfully. Today it was Sara, very kind and very professional.”
Sebas Ruiz Perez
Gastric band · 5 years of follow-up
“I had my gastric band fitted in mid-February and I've already lost 20 kilos. Everything with them has been great, honestly, I'm delighted.”
Iria Eguinoa
Gastric band · −20 kg
Reviews reflect each patient's individual experience.
Every procedure carries risks that are explained during consultation.
Our Complication Rates
We fit 25 gastric bands a year. These figures come from a retrospective analysis (a review of our past patient records) carried out by Clínica 3 de Mayo over the last ten years and updated in September 2026. Over his career, Dr. Jesús Lago has fitted more than 1,500 gastric bands.
| Complication | Published literature* | Clínica 3 de Mayo |
|---|---|---|
| Major complications | 1-3% | 1.1% |
| Further surgery after more than ten years | 20-50% | 11.2% |
| Permanent band removal | 20-40% | 6.1% |
| Band slippage | 2-10% | 1% |
| Intolerance | 5-20% | 4.4% |
| Esophageal dilatation | 5-15% | 6.1% |
| Port problems | 5-15% | 3.4% |
- * Shen X et al., SOARD, 2015.
- * Chang SH et al., JAMA Surg, 2014.
- * Egberts K et al., Obes Surg, 2011.
Frequently Asked Questions
The price of a gastric band covers your preoperative assessment, the evaluation consultation, the band itself, the operation and hospital stay, follow-up appointments, band adjustments for two years, two years of nutritional follow-up, weight loss surgery follow-up including two sessions with a psychologist, and a 24-hour emergency line for two years. If needed, it also covers an endoscopy, a blood test and an ultrasound.
A gastric band is for people with a BMI (body mass index) above 30, including severe obesity, especially when other methods have repeatedly failed.
We adjust the band at your clinic appointments by adding fluid to, or removing it from, the port under your skin. Adjustments are more frequent at first, then spaced further apart depending on your weight loss and how well you tolerate the band.
You will eat smaller portions, more slowly, chewing each mouthful well. Very hard or fibrous foods do not pass through the band as easily.
The gastric band stays in place permanently, unlike a gastric balloon, which is temporary. We can adjust how tight it is, and remove it if necessary.
Yes. Dr. Jesús Lago still fits some gastric bands through a single incision hidden in the belly button, known as single-port surgery. The operation itself is the same, only the point of entry changes, and it is rarely used. You decide on this at your consultation, before surgery, and the quote is higher.
Yes. At Clínica 3 de Mayo, 6.1% of patients have their band permanently removed in the long term, compared with 20 to 40% in the published literature. Dr. Jesús Lago assesses each case at consultation.
See gastric band removalWe continue to see you for any checkup or adjustment: some of our patients have been under our care for three to five years. The price of the gastric band includes two years of adjustments, nutritional follow-up and bariatric follow-up.
The band narrows the passage for food while leaving your stomach intact, and we can adjust or remove it. A gastric sleeve permanently reduces the size of the stomach, and a bypass also reroutes the digestive tract.
Traveling from Abroad for Surgery
If you are coming from abroad, we organize your stay in Madrid and handle your follow-up remotely.
The Medical Team
Dr. Jesús Lago, lead surgeon in practice since 2000, heads a team that has worked together for almost a decade at Clínica 3 de Mayo. All our doctors are fully qualified and registered with the Madrid College of Physicians (Colegio de Médicos de Madrid).
- Dr. Jesús LagoLead surgeon, president of SETIO (Spanish Society for Interventional Obesity Techniques) and co-author of the 2011 patient follow-up guide on the adjustable gastric band
- Dr. Iordan Minchev IordanovHead of anesthesia and team coordinator
- Dr. Werner Engel EspinosaAnesthesiologist
- Dr. Sara Vázquez AmigoCoordination and follow-up
- Dr. Álvaro Henríquez DaoAssistant surgeon
- Gonzalo Chorén PiermateiNurse
Our Centers
Clínica 3 de Mayo Hospital Fuensanta
Calle Arturo Soria 17, 28027 Madrid
Where your operation takes place. Operating rooms, inpatient ward, 24/7 emergency department, intensive care.
Consultations and follow-up
Clínica 3 de Mayo · Calle Apodaca 4, 28004 Madrid
Also at the Hospital Fuensanta outpatient clinic on Thursdays.
Clínica 3 de Mayo S.L. · CIF B83091363
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Book Your First Consultation
We reply within 24 hours on weekdays, then see you for your first consultation by video call or in Madrid.