Medical obesity can affect your life, from how you look and feel to what activities you can do. Obesity also affects how long you can live. An increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are linked to carrying excess weight, but studies have shown significant weight loss may help improve, or even resolve, these conditions. [1]
People on traditional diet and exercise programs can lose weight only to gain almost all of it back within 5 years. [1] However, the LAP-BAND® device has resulted in healthy weight loss and helps patients keep weight off for longer than with non-surgical weight loss methods. [3]
Although the LAP-BAND® is often incorrectly used as a generic term for stomach banding procedures, the LAP-BAND® is the trademark for the LAP-BAND ® device manufactured by Allergan, Inc. [2] LAP-BAND® is the only FDA-approved gastric band for those with a minimum BMI of 30 and who an obesity-related comorbid health condition. [3]
Without any need to cut or staple the stomach, the LAP-BAND® device reduces the stomach’s capacity, leading to LAP-BAND® patients feeling fuller faster and longer. [2]
Because LAP-BAND® is a minimally invasive procedure, patients should feel better faster than you would with other types of weight-loss surgery, but patients still need to follow a progression of steps over days, weeks, and months to get where they want to be. Although the LAP BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System has been shown to be one of the safer weight loss surgeries available in the US, no surgery is without risks. [1]
