The LAP-BAND^® Adjustable Gastric Banding System in Detail

Weight loss surgery is a big and life-changing step - you want to be sure that you're making the best decision possible, using the most reliable and flexible system available. There is only one adjustable and reversible weight loss surgery available in the United States and that is gastric banding. The LAP-BAND^® System is the first and most advanced gastric banding system approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and over 350,000 devices have been distributed worldwide.

The LAP-BAND^® System is an adjustable gastric band that restricts the amount of food that your stomach can hold at one time, while allowing you to feel satisfied, not hungry. It is a personal weight loss tool that can help you lose excess pounds and improve weight-related health issues. Without that excess weight, you may feel better, look better and be able to do more.

Feeling Full Sooner and Longer

• The LAP-BAND^® System uses a silicone ring filled with saline on its inner hollow surface, which is placed around the upper part of your stomach. 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.
• By creating a new smaller pouch and controlling the passage of food between the new pouch and the rest of your stomach, the LAP-BAND^® System actually makes you feel fuller sooner, and your satisfaction lasts longer than before.

Adjusting the LAP-BAND^® System to Your Needs

• The LAP-BAND^® System is connected to an access port, which is fixed beneath the skin of your abdomen. The access port allows your surgeon to adjust the LAP-BAND^® System to your weight loss needs and progress by adding or subtracting saline, or salt water, inside the inner balloon. This is an advantage to the LAP-BAND^® System, and is a normal part of your medical follow-up.
• Although your weight loss should be gradual, if it is too slow, the doctor can inflate the LAP-BAND^® System with additional saline solution, tightening the opening between the new smaller upper part of your stomach and the larger lower portion. On the other hand, if you require the LAP-BAND^® System loosened, your doctor can remove some saline, making the opening larger. For example, if you were to become pregnant, and your nutritional needs increased, the larger pouch would support your new diet.
• The latest generation LAP-BAND AP^® System has the highest available fill volume for more flexibility and more precise adjustments.

Cyndi’s Story

Read her story: Cyndi tried other weight loss systems but she succeeded with LAP-BAND^®

Your results may vary. Click here for detailed risk information.

LAP-BAND^® System Results

The LAP-BAND^® System is a tool that helps you achieve sustained weight loss by limiting food intake, reducing appetite, and slowing digestion. The LAP-BAND^® System by itself, though, will not solve your health problems nor ensure weight loss. The amount of weight loss achieved depends both on the band and on your motivation and commitment to a new lifestyle and healthy eating habits.

It is very important to set achievable weight loss goals from the start. A weight loss of 2 to 3 pounds a week in the first year after the operation is possible, but 1 pound a week is more likely. Twelve to 18 months after the operation, weekly weight loss is usually less. Gradual yet steady weight loss with the LAP-BAND^® System can be healthy for you. Losing weight too quickly creates a health risk and can lead to a number of problems. The main goal is to have weight loss that prevents, improves, or resolves health problems connected with severe obesity.

Weight loss with the LAP-BAND^® System is comparable to standard gastric bypass at 3 years and beyond¹

Average excess weight loss is comparable over time.

RYGB = Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
LAGB = Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding

*Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding using the LAP-BAND^® System and another adjustable gastric band. Comparison is based on pooled data from 43 peer-reviewed reports involving at least 100 patients at entry and providing at least 3 years of postoperative data.¹ Individual results may vary.

The LAP-BAND^® System was approved in the United States on the basis of a nonrandomized single-arm study (N=299). Significant improvement in percent of excess weight loss vs baseline was achieved at 12 months (34.5%), 24 months (37.8%), and 36 months (36.2%).

References:

1. O'Brien PE, McPhail T, Chaston TB, Dixon JB. Systematic review of medium-term weight loss after bariatric operations. Obes Surg. 2006:16;1032-1040.