Characteristics of Dendritic Cells Before and After Gastric Banding

A research study to find out more about a specific white blood cell called a dendritic cell. These cells are found in a layer of fat in the body called the omentum. The omentum is a layer of fat that covers the bowels (intestines) and protects them. The purpose of this study is to allow us to compare dendritic cells in normal weight individuals to the dendritic cells of people who are extremely overweight. These cells will be collected from the omentum, the layer of fat that covers and protects the bowels (intestines), from the mesentery, which is another layer of fat that surrounds the intestines directly, and from the subcutaneous tissue, which is the layer of fat just under the skin.