Lap-Band System or Realize Band
The adjustable gastric band is considered a restrictive procedure in that it limits the amount of food you consume before you feel full. A solid silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach. This band has a distensible inner bladder that can expand and contract based on adjusting the amount of fluid you place into it. The band is connected to tubing, which is connected to a port that is often located on the patient’s anterior abdominal wall underneath the skin. The health care provider can add or remove fluid from the band by accessing the port with a special type of needle. This is often a painless and quick office procedure. The band is optimally adjusted so that the patient will consume about a cup of food before they have the sensation of fullness.
The adjustable gastric band procedure is considered safer than other types of weight loss operations because it does not involve cutting or dividing the intestines. However, it does have it’s unique set of problems. The need for some type of surgical intervention to fix the band is anywhere from 5 to 30%. The more commonly reported problems with this procedure are the band can slip, erode, become infected, the port can become loose, and the tubing can have a leak.
Weight loss with this procedure is usually reported at 40% excess weight loss for the first year after the operation, and an average excess weight loss of 50% in long term studies.
Video Education
Important points:
- First adjustable gastric band placed via an open technique in 1986
- First laparoscopically placed adjustable gastric band placed in 1992
- LapBand made by Allergan obtained FDA approval in 2001
- Realize Band made by Ethicon obtained FDA approval in 2007