Lap Band Adjustable Gastric Banding System
The FDA in June 2001 approved the Lap Band®
system for surgical treatment of patients
with morbid obesity. The Lap Band®,
manufactured by Inamed, has been used mostly
in Europe, South America and Mexico since
1993. Over 150,000 Lap Band® procedures
have been performed worldwide with good
results.
The Lap Band® is a restrictive procedure
performed laparoscopically, under general
anesthesia via 4 to 5 small incisions of
less than one inch. This option restricts
how much food can be eaten at one sitting
by placing an adjustable inflatable silicone
band which fastens around the upper portion
of the stomach to create a small pouch just
below the esophagus. The Lap Band® is
stitched in to place to prevent it from
moving. The Lap Band® is connected by
tubing to a reservoir, which is placed well
under the skin on the abdomen wall during
surgery. The band creates a sensation of
fullness (“satiety") after a
small meal. This is reminiscent of the older
Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG). However,
in contrast to the older VBG, the Lap Band®
that is placed around the stomach in this
case is adjustable.
In many published reports, attention is
brought to the "adjustability"
of the Lap Band®. The fact that the
Lap Band® can be adjusted to help the
patient modify their eating pattern in a
way that is specific to that patient is
the feature that makes it different from
VBG, which created a fixed restriction on
eating that frequently led to problems over
a period of time.
Adjustment is accomplished by means of a
balloon that lines the inside of the Lap
Band®. When the Lap Band® is placed,
the balloon is empty. Over the months following
surgery, the balloon within the Lap Band®
is gradually filled to provide progressively
increasing restriction. If the patient experiences
undue difficulty eating, the balloon can
be emptied to adjust the restriction. The
adjustment is accomplished by entering the
access port (buried under the skin) with
a fine needle through the skin to increase
or decrease the amount of saline fluid contained
in the balloon. The number of adjustments
needed varies from person to person, but
most need 3 to 5 adjustments over two years
before the band is at its ideal tightness.
The Lap Band® is the only adjustable
weight loss surgery procedure currently
available in the U.S., is considered the
least traumatic of all weight loss surgeries
since there is no cutting or repositioning
of any intestines bringing the risk of leaks
or obstruction to very low levels. The fact
that the procedure is almost always done
laparoscopically means patients can usually
return home within 24 hours of surgery and
back to work within 10 days. Unlike the
VBG, the Lap Band® can be adjusted to
suit your individual situation and can be
removed if necessary.
For more information on Lap Band procedure go to www.lapband.com.
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