Success-Stories

The LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System is the #1 selling gastric band worldwide, with over 750,000 procedures performed since 1994.1 There are many success stories of people who have used the LAP-BAND® System to achieve significant weight loss and discover a healthier life.2

Explore our library of stories and testimonial videos to see how others have succeeded with the LAP-BAND® System.

the SUCCESS STORY of

George Fielding, MD, FACS

13 years ago, I was a big, sick man weighing 335 lbs. As a bariatric surgeon, I was working with many patients who would say to me, "But Doc, you're a bigger man than I am." So I decided to make a change. I have performed thousands of weight loss operations: band, bypass and sleeve. And I chose LAP-BAND® because I knew it would help me lose weight, change my behaviors, and keep the weight off for the long term. I have lost 120 lbs and I am healthier than ever!

Watch Dr. Fielding's Story

Weight lost

120 lbs

Pre-op
comorbidities

High blood pressure, sleep apnea, on 11 different medications

Results may vary.

the SUCCESS STORY of

Adam Smith, MD, FACOS, FASMBS

Here I was performing this surgery on my patients, and counseling them on weight loss, and I myself was carrying around a lot of extra weight and had a lot of associated health issues. So I made the choice to have LAP-BAND® myself, and now that I've lost weight, I am healthier at 52 than I was at 42. I bicycle, I water ski, I wakeboard. And I still enjoy good food and good company, but I don't need a huge, heaping pile of food to make me happy anymore!

Watch Dr. Smith's Story

Weight lost

100 lbs

Pre-op
comorbidities

Sleep apnea, high cholesterol, borderline high blood pressure, borderline high blood sugar

Results may vary.

the SUCCESS STORY of

Jeffery Allen, MD, FACS

The reason I chose LAP-BAND® for myself was mainly that it's a very safe procedure. I'd seen the success in my patients and felt confident that I would be able to meet my own goals with the help of the procedure. What really worked for me is that once I had the LAP-BAND® surgery, I didn't wake up hungry every morning thinking about what every meal that day was going to be, and I never felt like I was on a diet. I just eat smaller quantities now.

Watch Dr. Allen's Story

Weight lost

100 lbs

Pre-op
comorbidities

None

Results may vary.

the SUCCESS STORY of

John DeBarros, MD, FACS, FASMBS

I have an 11-year-old and an 8-year-old, and before I lost weight with LAP-BAND®, I could not even walk down the street with them without having pain. Now, I coach their soccer team and can play basketball and baseball with them. I chose LAP-BAND® for myself because I was personally comfortable with it, and now patients see how well I am doing with LAP-BAND®, and it helps them get excited about it for themselves.

Watch Dr. DeBarros' Story

Weight lost

100+ lbs

Pre-op
comorbidities

Hypertension, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high triglycerides

Results may vary.

the SUCCESS STORY of

Dr. Frank Scafuri

I have struggled with obesity since childhood. As a primary care physician, I was having a hard time telling patients to lose weight when I myself had a weight issue. After years of yo-yo dieting, and losing weight only to gain more weight back, I had LAP-BAND® surgery. I lost 135 pounds within 2 years of having surgery, and after seeing my success, my younger sister, a nurse practitioner, decided to have LAP-BAND® surgery as well. Our younger brother, our mother, and my wife have all followed suit. We come from a large Italian family, and eating big meals is part of our culture. Now that several of us have had LAP-BAND® surgery, we support each other and keep each other motivated. We are still eating partners, but we eat a lot less now.

Age

39

Weight lost

135 lbs since July 2010

Current weight

225 lbs

Pre-op
comorbidities

high blood pressure, diabetes

Results may vary.

the SUCCESS STORY of

Brooke

I was tired of living life at 292 lbs. I had temporary success with other weight-loss methods, but none of them worked long-term. I have a little boy, and I did not want to embarrass him one day by being the "fat mom." There were health risks involved with my weight, too, that scared me. I wanted to be around to enjoy him growing up, to see him graduate and get married. I wanted to be healthy, and I wanted the woman on the outside to match the one on the inside. As a nurse, I researched as much as I could on weight loss surgery. I have lost 160 lbs since my surgery, I'm healthy, happy, and loving my life. And I have to admit... I really love the way I look, too!

Weight lost

160 lbs

Pre-op

292 lbs

Current weight

132 lbs

Results may vary.

the SUCCESS STORY of

Tammy

When I was 34 years old, my endocrinologist told me I needed to lose 100 pounds or I wouldn't see age 64. This advice, combined with a constant feeling of being invisible around skinny people, led me to the decision to have LAP-BAND® surgery. I had several friends who had had bypass surgery, so I considered that too, but they didn't have the ability to get an adjustment when they started struggling with their weight. With LAP-BAND®, I am able to lose weight at my own pace, and I have kept off the weight for 7 years. I am able to do things I could not do before losing the weight, such as biking 40 miles. But the best part of the weight loss is no longer feeling invisible. I started dating a lot and am now in a relationship, I was noticed more for my accomplishments at work, and I am more confident than I have ever been!

Age

41

Weight lost

104 lbs

Pre-op

287 lbs

Current weight

183 lbs

Pre-op
comorbidities

diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension

Results may vary.

the SUCCESS STORY of

Jodi

I think that life is hard enough without the added pressure of being obese. Two years and 115 lbs ago, I'd reached my breaking point. My goal was to achieve a healthier lifestyle and gain long-term control of my weight. Since I work in the medical field, I was very thorough in researching my options. The LAP-BAND® System was an easy choice for me, because it was a minimally invasive weight loss procedure with minimal recovery time. My surgery was on a Friday—I went home the next day and was back to work Monday morning! I've maintained my goal weight for over 2 years and my life has changed in so many positive ways. Thanks to the weight loss I achieved with the LAP-BAND®, I can keep up with my children and I no longer have to worry about my weight. I feel more energetic, younger, and much happier. I exercise, go boating, skiing, snorkeling, and do many things I could never have dreamt of doing before I lost weight with the LAP-BAND®. And, I can even wear a bikini!

Weight lost

115 lbs

Results may vary.

the SUCCESS STORY of

Jineane

I had been "a little overweight" since I was a young girl. As a former Miss USA winner and a TV news anchor, I have been in the public eye for a long time, which makes me extra sensitive to my weight. One day when I was a size 14 TV personality I looked over at my size 2 co-host, and finally decided it was time to stop yo-yo dieting and get serious about weight loss. I learned about LAP-BAND® after interviewing a bariatric surgeon about it on our show, and decided that this was the route I wanted to take. I lost the 50 pounds I had been battling since I had my two children and I have kept it off for six years. Compared to work required by constant dieting, I found LAP-BAND® to be a less stressful way to get healthy and down to a weight that makes me feel comfortable and confident on the air and in my personal life.

Weight lost

50 lbs

Went from size

14 to size 8

Pre-op
comorbidities

High blood pressure

Results may vary.

the SUCCESS STORY of

Dan

Growing up, my activities kept me in shape and my weight down. When I got out of school, I got out of sports, other priorities took over my life, and the weight piled on. I tried all the fad diets, most with little or no success. Finally, I learned about the LAP-BAND® System. LAP-BAND® isn't a diet, but a tool that can be adjusted to help me stay on track with my weight loss. I've hit my goal and am down 170 lbs! The LAP-BAND® is still there to help me maintain my weight loss for the rest of my life. As a bonus, all the sports and family activities I had missed out on for over 20 years are back within my reach and there is nothing I can't experience with my children. Weight loss with the LAP-BAND® has given me my life back. It had been so long, I had almost forgotten.

Weight lost

170 lbs

Results may vary.

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