Lap Band Surgery - An Overview

by Brandon Cornett

Lap Band surgery has become one of the most common types of weight loss surgery in the United States and abroad. Lap Band surgery is often covered by the media and is one of the most popular Internet search terms within the realm of bariatric surgery.

Through this guide, we will provide you with some helpful information regarding this type of surgical procedure. Please note that we are not speaking for or against Lap Band surgical procedures, but are merely providing objective information for research and education purposes. (View this website’s full disclaimer.)

Lap Band Terminology Note

In this article, “Lap Band surgery” refers to surgeries involving the use of Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, or Lap Band. When people mention the Lap Band, they are almost always referring to the LAP-BAND® System, which is an FDA-approved product developed by the BioEnterics Corporation (now part of Allergan).

Lap Band Surgery - The Basics

This type of bariatric weight-loss procedure involves the use of the aforementioned LAP-BAND® System. In Lap Band Surgery, an adjustable silicon band is placed around the upper portion of the stomach. The band is inserted in laparoscopic fashion, which makes the surgery minimally invasive (as compared, for example, to a full gastric bypass surgery).

By placing the adjustable band around a portion of the stomach, Lap Band surgery achieves the same effect as other types of weight-loss surgery — it reduces the stomach’s capacity for food and causes a person to feel “full” sooner when eating. In other words, after a Lap Band surgical procedure, a patient would eat less and feel full sooner.

The procedure is referred to as Adjustable Gastric Banding (AGB) because the silicon band can be adjusted to expedite the weight loss process. Basically, the physician who performed the Lap Band surgery can later add sterile water to the band thus tightening it (and restricting food consumption even more). These days, some bariatric surgeons even specialize in this practice of Lap Band adjustment or “fills.”

Difference Between Lap Band & Gastric Bypass

The primary difference between Lap Band surgical procedure and a gastric bypass surgery is that the former is minimally invasive. With Lap Band surgery, inch-long slits are made in the patient’s abdomen. The surgery is performed through these slits (laparoscopic surgery) and with the use of tiny cameras.

With an “open” surgery such as the standard gastric bypass surgery, a larger incision will be made, usually several inches in length. As with any other type of surgery, patients of the laparoscopic version usually recover faster than patients of the “open” version.

Always Use a Qualified Surgeon

Lap Band surgery requires special skills because of the way it is performed. The surgeon has to rely on special tools and the use of cameras to perform the laparoscopic procedure. The surgeon must also be familiar with device itself, the LAP-BAND® System. If you are considering a Lap Band surgical procedure, seek out a physician who specializes in Lap Band surgery (and has successfully performed many of them in the past).

Related: Cost of Lap Band Surgery