University of California, San Diego Medical Center – Center for the Treatment of Obesity
Gastric Band Surgery – For more information, call 1-800-926-UCSD
Dr. Santiago Horgan, a specialist in minimally invasive surgery, was among the
first surgeons trained to do gastric banding. He now teaches other surgeons in
using both the LAP-BAND System and the new REALIZE Band.
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.
Enter your weight and height using Standard or Metric measures
Ongoing Motivation
Surgery Alone is Not Enough! It's up to You.
LAP-BAND® surgery is an effective treatment for morbid obesity that has numerous advantages. However, the surgery itself is not enough to make anyone shed extra pounds. Patients must be extremely motivated to live a healthy lifestyle if they are to continue losing weight after the LAP-BAND® procedure has been completed. The LAP-BAND® System is only one ingredient in lasting weight loss results. It helps patients lose weight by limiting food intake, reducing appetite and slowing digestion. For long-term weight loss to occur, however, you must be motivated and committed to a new, healthy lifestyle. After LAP-BAND® surgery, you must maintain a special LAP-BAND® diet and exercise plan to stay healthy. This weight loss surgery demands significant lifestyle changes, and for this reason it is only suitable for those who understand its lifestyle implications and are highly motivated to live healthfully and lose weight.
Gastric Banding Advantages
In comparison to other forms of bariatric surgery, gastric banding using the LAP-BAND® or REALIZE Band has many advantages, including:
- Safest, least invasive surgical option
- No stomach stapling or intestinal re-routing
- Shorter hospital stay
- Only adjustable, reversible surgical option
