What is the Adjustable Gastric Lap-Band®

Internal view of the human body with the Lap Band System attached to the stomach.Approved by the FDA in 2001, LapBand® Surgery is the safest and least invasive bariatric surgery for weight-loss patients. The LAP-BAND® System is an adjustable gastric band designed to help you lose excess body weight, improve weight-related health conditions and enhance quality of life. It reduces the stomach capacity and restricts the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. All surgery is performed laparoscopically on an outpatient basis at our surgical center. You will have surgery and a few hours later be discharged to enjoy the comforts of your own bed that very night.

Click here to watch the LAP-BAND animated video.

A close up view of the Lap Band System attached to the stomach.The LAP-BAND® System is a silicone ring designed to be placed around the upper part of the stomach and filled with saline. Like a wristwatch, the band is fastened around the upper stomach to create the new stomach pouch. This creates a new, smaller stomach pouch that can hold only a small amount of food. When the stomach is smaller, you feel full faster, while the food moves more slowly between your upper and lower stomach as it is digested. As a result, you eat less and lose weight.

Because lap band surgery does not alter the intestinal tract, the digestive system continues to function normally. Unlike gastric bypass and other more invasive, risky procedures, there is no cutting or rerouting of the small intestines. This means that the risk of nutritional deficiencies, common with other obesity surgeries, is much reduced.

Once the lap band surgery is complete, this new, small stomach fills quickly so you will feel full soon after beginning to eat. You will, consequently, consume much less food. The size of the opening between the two stomachs is determined by the tightness of the adjustable lap band. As you progress with your weight loss, your surgeon can make the band tighter by adding saline to the lap band. This is known as a fill. He may also widen the opening under certain circumstances, such as pregnancy, by removing liquid from the lap band. With the gastric band, you are in control of your weight and your future. You can decide how quickly or slowly you want to lose weight.