“I had been overweight for 14 years and I was ready to be physically active again. I had tried EVERYTHING to lose weight including Phen fen and Redux. A few things worked, but only temporarily. The weight always came back.”
The LAP-BAND® ® System is
an adjustable gastric band designed to help you lose excess body
weight, improve weight-related health conditions and enhance quality
of life. It reduces the stomach capacity and restricts the amount
of food that can be consumed at one time. The LAP-BAND® ® System
procedure does not require stomach cutting and stapling or gastrointestinal
re-routing to bypass normal digestion. The LAP-BAND® System
is the only adjustable and reversible weight-loss surgery available
in the United States and the only weight-loss surgery approved
for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The name “LAP-BAND® ” comes from the surgical technique
used, laparoscopic, and the name of the implanted medical device,
gastric band. The LAP-BAND® System is a silicone
ring designed to be placed around the upper part of the stomach and
filled with saline on its inner surface. This creates a new, smaller
stomach pouch that can hold only a small amount of food, so the food
storage area in the stomach is reduced. The band also controls the
stoma (stomach outlet) between the new upper pouch and the lower
part of the stomach. When the stomach is smaller, you feel full faster,
while the food moves more slowly between your upper and lower stomach
as it is digested. As a result, you eat less and lose weight.
LAP-BAND® System Advantages
at a Glance
Minimal Trauma
Least invasive surgical option
No intestinal re-routing
No cutting or stapling of the stomach wall or bowel
Small incisions and minimal scarring
Reduced patient pain, length of hospital stay and recovery period
Fewer Risks and Side Effects
10 times less operative and short-term mortality than gastric
bypass 1
Low risk of nutritional deficiencies associated with gastric
bypass
Reduced risk of hair loss
No “dumping syndrome” related to dietary intake restrictions
Adjustable
Allows individualized degree of restriction for ideal rate
of weight-loss
Adjustments performed without additional surgery
Supports pregnancy by allowing stomach outlet size to be opened
to accommodate increased nutritional needs
Only surgical option designed to help maintain long-term weight loss
Reversible
Removable at any time
Stomach and other anatomy are generally restored to their
original forms and functions
Effective Long-Term Weight Loss
More than 300,000 devices placed worldwide
Standard of care for hundreds of surgeons around the world
#1 selling adjustable gastric band for weight loss
Academic publications with up to 10 years of follow-up
