Adjustable Gastric Band
A laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, commonly referred to as a 'a band', lap band or LAGB, is an inflatable silicone device placed around the top portion of the stomach to treat obesity, intended to slow consumption of foods and thus the amount of food consumed.
Adjustable gastric band surgery is an example of bariatric surgery designed for obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater—or between 35 and 40 in cases of patients with certain comorbidities that are known to improve with weight loss, such as sleep apnea, diabetes, osteoarthritis, GERD, Hypertension (high blood pressure), or metabolic syndrome, among others.
In February 2011 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded approval of Adjustable gastric band to patients with a BMI between 30 to 40 and one weight-related medical condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure. However, an adjustable gastric band may only be used after other methods such as diet and exercise have previously been tried.
Read more about Adjustable Gastric Band: How Gastric Banding Works, Surgical Indications, Comparison With Other Bariatric Surgeries, Controversy
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