How the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System Works
Developed to facilitate long-term weight loss and reduce the health risks associated with severe and morbid obesity, the LAP-BAND® System offers a minimally invasive, quick recovery option for surgical weight loss. Unlike gastric bypass, it does not involve stomach cutting, stapling or intestinal re-routing. Using laparoscopic surgical techniques, the LAP-BAND® System creates a small pouch from the top portion of the patient's stomach for effective weight loss.
- No stomach cutting
- No stomach stapling
- No intestinal rerouting
By reducing stomach capacity, the LAP-BAND® System can help achieve long-term weight loss by creating an earlier feeling of satiety. The LAP-BAND® System is adjustable, which means that the inflatable band can be tightened or loosened to help the patient achieve a level of satiety while maintaining a healthy diet. It is also reversible and can be removed at any time.
Key Benefits of Lap-Band® vs. Gastric Bypass
- The LAP-BAND® System can be applied to the top portion of the stomach laparoscopically using "keyhole" surgery, which offers reduced LAP-BAND® surgery side effects and the advantages of less pain, shorter length of hospital stay and quicker recovery period.
- The procedure has a lower severe complication rate preoperatively (less than 1 percent) and lower mean short-term mortality rate (0.05 percent, approximately 1/10 the mortality rate of gastric bypass).
- The LAP-BAND® System carries fewer risks of vitamin and mineral deficiencies than gastric bypass.
- With non-surgical adjustments, the patient can attain and maintain a healthy satiety level and minimize the potential for weight regain.
- The LAP-BAND® System is reversible and it can be removed at any time.
Improve Your Quality of Life with the LAP-BAND® System
The LAP-BAND® System can not only help you lose weight and feel great about the way you look and feel, it can also dramatically improve serious health conditions for a more vibrant lifestyle. In clinical studies of severely obese patients, the LAP-BAND® System has been demonstrated to be an effective surgical method for weight loss, improving co-morbid conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and hypertension and reducing the use of medication to treat those conditions.
Adjustability helps patients sustain long-term weight loss benefits and is covered by most health plans including PPO Insurance.
