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                   Laparoscopic Placement of a LAPBAND

 

The Apollo™ formerly Allergan Lapband™  or adjustable gastric band was approved in the United States by the FDA in 2001. Prior to that introduction, it was extensively used in Europe and Australia. In 2006, it became the most popular bariatric procedure performed in the world.

 

This office had a mixed experience with the Laparoscopic Placement of a Lapband™ . Over the past years, recent technical modifications of the product or band have improved its long term performance, however recent studies are showing a signicant, post-placement mechanical complication rate [App. 50%] once inserted. For this reason, its popularity has dramatically decreased. This procedure is now offered to the motivated, educated bariatric patient.

The greatest appeal of the Lapband™  to the patient is that this bariatric procedure unlike other bariatric procedure does not alter the anatomy of the gastro-intestinal tract. Although many authors will postulate that placing and adjusting a Lapband™  will generate a beneficial cascade of physiological events that will promote weight loss, it simply work by restricting the intake or entry of food into the stomach.

 

The Lapband™  is a hard, silastic, adjustable band [different sizes] that the surgeon will place via laparoscopy around the upper portion of the stomach. Inside the band resides an inflatable, circular balloon that can be inflated and deflated by using an access port placed under the skin of the abdomen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the Lapband has been placed, the surgeon can sequentially inflate the balloon by performing an "adjustment". An adjustment is the injection of a small amount of fluid [saline] via the access port into the balloon inside the band. The more fluid that is injected, the bigger the balloon inflates, the tighter the restriction of the stomach inside the band thus further increasing the food intake restriction.

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