Treatment Choice - Treatment Choice | Compare Prices | Find Hospital | Gastric banding, also known as lap banding, is a procedure which aims to make you feel full after eating a small portion of food. It works by restricting the capacity of your stomach, so that you eat less and, over time, lose weight. During the procedure, your surgeon will place an adjustable band around your stomach to create two compartments, keeping a narrow opening between the top and bottom so that food can pass through it slowly. There is a limited space left for food so it should quickly create the sensation of fullness.