The Lap-Band® procedure is a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure with impressive lasting sustainable weight loss.1 By placing an adjustable band around the stomach, patients feel satiated sooner and longer, giving them the support they need to build healthy habits that last.
Patients choose the Lap-Band® procedure because it’s safe, affordable, and doesn’t require altering anatomy.
A few small incisions (1.5-2.5 cm each) are made on the abdomen, where your surgeon will use a tiny camera and long, thin medical instruments to operate and navigate. A Gastric Band is placed around the stomach to limit the amount of food that can be eaten at once helping control portions and promote your feeling of fullness. And once inserted, the Lap-Band can be adjusted or removed to meet new weight goals or major life events—like pregnancy.
Curious about becoming a Lap-Band® surgeon? Check out the basic requirements below and contact our team to learn more.
The ReShape Lap-Band Systems are approved for adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or a BMI of at least 30 with health conditions related to obesity, who have not seen success with other weight loss methods, like supervised diet, exercise, and behavior modification programs. Choosing this surgery means committing to changes in eating habits for the long term.
The Lap-Band procedure is not approved for individuals under 18 yo, those with conditions that may make them poor surgical candidates or lead to poor results, such as inflammatory or cardiopulmonary diseases, problems with the stomach and digestion, symptoms or family history of autoimmune disease, scarring of the liver, individuals unable or unwilling to follow the necessary dietary restrictions, individuals with alcohol or drug addictions, or those currently pregnant. Individuals who become pregnant after band placement may require deflation of their bands.
The ReShape Lap-Band Systems, a long-term tool, may need to be adjusted if you get pregnant, sick, or malnourished. Be careful with anti-inflammatory drugs as they could make the band wear away. Like any surgery, placement of the Lap-Band may have complications such as risks from drugs and methods used, general surgery risks, how well your body handles a foreign object, or in rare cases, risk of death.
As with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with metabolic and bariatric surgery that you and your doctor should discuss. Potential risks associated with the Lap-Band include nausea, vomiting, heartburn, stomach blockage, constipation, swallowing difficulty, diarrhea, abnormal stools, abdominal pain, weakness, incision pain, infection, fever, hernia, chest pain, band movement, stomach pouch expansion, unusual healing, pain at the port site, port movement, and/or hair loss. Additional surgery might be needed. Losing weight quickly could lead to complications requiring more surgery.
Talk to your doctor, and/or visit our website at https://www.lapband.com/product-info for more information on its benefits and risks.