Lap Band surgery has proven to be the weight loss answer for thousands of patients worldwide since its introduction more than two decades ago.

The Lap Band system goes back to early 1985, when Dr. Dag Hallberg of Sweden petitioned for a patent for the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB) within Scandinavian countries. After using the SAGB in a controlled series of 50 procedures, Hallberg and his assistant, Dr. Peter Forsell, began performing the open technique to implant the SAGB on patients residing in the Scandinavian countries.

The SAGB procedure began to spread to other European countries, as surgeons started to use the laparoscopic technique. In the early 1990s, however, laparoscopic weight-loss surgery was still a challenge as a result of technical difficulties related to patient excess weight.

In 1991, a confidential project was begun by Allergen, known at that time as Inamed Development Company. A pair of Belgian surgeons, Dr. Mitiku Belachew and Dr. M. Legrand, was part of this project. They developed the novel laparoscopic gastric banding with the idea of treating additional weight in individuals.

Allergan instituted a strict policy which required that only those surgeons who had participated in the training programs organized by Allergan would be given access to the Lap Band system.

Lap Band Demand Grows in U.S.

Despite the challenges, obesity data in the U.S. assisted in creating demand for the Lap Band system here in the states.

In July 1994, the Lap Band System became an option on the market outside the U.S. to be administered by trained surgeons worldwide. After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established U.S.-based clinical trials in 1995 (The FDA regulations require clinical trials in approved centers before an implantable device, such as the Lap Band System, can be used across the U.S. in a surgical procedure), they gave the approval to the Lap Band System for general use in June 2001

Recent data shows that more than 350,000 Lap Band System devices have been distributed worldwide to allow thousands of patients to drop and control their weight, decrease their health risks, and live more enjoyable and fit lives.

Are you one of those people who want to do something about their weight problem, but have not yet taken the initiative to do it? If so, give TopSurgeons a call today for a consultation and to learn more about Lap Band surgery.

More Lap Band surgeries are done with TopSurgeons than any other provider in California!

For more information about Lap Band, call 1-800-953-5000.