Tag Archives: gastric bands

Weight Loss Surgery Coverage Push

More obese Americans may be given the opportunity to have their weight loss surgery covered by insurance if device manufacturers have their way. Allergan Inc., makers of the LapBand gastric banding device, has been the most vocal in their efforts to give obese patients access to this life-altering surgery. Weight Loss Surgery Coverage PushBeing able to have this surgery covered by insurance will give patients the tools they need to fight a host of life-threatening illnesses brought on by their obesity. Allergan proposes that allowing more people access to insurance coverage will save billions of dollars in healthcare costs for both the government and employers.

The Dilemma

Critics argue that bariatric surgery has high rates of complications which can reach into the thousands and that the surgery doesn’t change the underlying behavior.

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Posted on January 25, 2024 by Carol

Gastric Bypass Surgery Patient Shocked to Learn Weight Loss Was Due to Diet and Exercise

How would you feel if you just spent your entire life savings on gastric bypass surgery only to realize that you were actually losing weight the old fashioned way, through diet and exercise?

The following story is a tale of will power and faith, as it is a classic example that what we believe, we can achieve.

Karren Knight, mother of two from Cheshire, England one day decided she was going to get a gastric band tied around her stomach, as no other method of weight loss seemed to work for her. Trying several diets and exercise programs in the past, Knight could not lose weight. At nearly 200 pounds overweight, Knight realized she had to do something, or the quality of her life was going to continue to get worse.

Determined and believing that having a gastric band fitted to restrict her appetite would be a success, Knight followed the doctor’s orders to eat very little and got some exercise. Even thought Knight expressed that it was no easy feat to take her mind off of food, she remained loyal to her recommended eating schedule.

After complaining to her sister about her desire to eat, think about, and be obsessed with food, Knight decided to do something enjoyable to keep her mind off of her hunger. She found a Zumba class that was offered just down the road from where she lived, figuring it would be an easy way to keep attending because it was nearby, not to mention very fun.

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Posted on January 12, 2024 by Jill

LAP Bands Approved by FDA for Wider Use

LAP Band

Lap Band

The Food and Drug Administration officially approved use of gastric bands, also known as Lap-Bands, for people with a BMI of 30 or higher and have an obesity-related health problem. The previous regulations only approved the device for people with a BMI of 40 and no additional health problems or a BMI of 35 with health complications. The new regulation is in accordance with recommendations made by an FDA panel in December.

Allergan, the maker of the Lap-Band, originally applied to lower the threshold to anyone with a BMI of 35, regardless of other health complications. However, the new provision only includes people with conditions such as diabetes or hypertension, the threshold for otherwise healthy people remains at a BMI of 40. “In order to target this therapy to patients who will benefit the most, the approved indication is limited to patients at the highest risk of obesity-related complications,” said Karen Riley, a spokeswoman for the FDA. According to The New York Times, an estimated 26 million Americans are now eligible for the surgery.

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Posted on February 17, 2024 by Health Buzz

FDA Panel Advises Expanding Use of Gastric Bands

gastric band

UPDATE [2/17/11]: The FDA has now approved the use of LAP Bands for anyone with a BMI of 30 who also suffers from an obesity-related health condition.

On Friday, a Food and Drug Administration panel recommended expanding the use of gastric bands, or LAP bands, to treat obesity. Currently, only patients who are morbidly obese can qualify for stomach band surgery, which can aid in weight loss by restricting the amount of food that the stomach is able to hold. If adopted, the new recommendation will allow about 12 million more obese people to receive the implant.

About 15 million people currently qualify for gastric banding surgery, which means they have body mass index score of 40 or higher, or 35 or higher if the person has weight-related health condition. The new guidelines would lower the BMI score to 35 or 30 with a health condition.

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Posted on December 6, 2023 by Health Buzz

More Obese Teens Turn to Gastric Band Surgery

Update: Our resident mental health expert, Brooke Randolph, LMHC, weighs in on the topic in a featured story at Yahoo Shine: Teen Weight Loss Surgery Unhealthy for Many Reasons.

There is some alarming news coming from a new study: Overweight teenagers are undergoing laparoscopic gastric band surgery in increasing numbers, even though the procedure is not approved for anyone under 18 years old.

Researchers examined a database of bariatric surgeries in California, and found that gastric band operations increased seven-fold from 2005 to 2024. They also found that 590 people between 13- and 20-years-old underwent gastric band or gastric bypass surgery during the study period.

Another point noted was that 93 percent of the weight-reduction surgeries were performed in hospitals that are not affiliated with nationally recognized children’s hospitals.

While “manufacturers have touted the banding procedure as less invasive, many [medical] centers have abandoned gastric banding because of poor long-term results,” say the study’s authors. (more…)

Posted on October 1, 2023 by Jason

Realize Band Users Chronicle Weight Loss Stories Online

realize bandIt is no longer just YouTube that has cornered the market on online videos. Now companies are using streaming videos on their websites to market their products. Back in late June, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, maker of the REALIZE Band, debuted a video featuring REALIZE users sharing their weight loss experience and successes with this weight loss device.

The REALIZE Band is an adjustable gastric band that is surgically implanted in the stomach in order to significantly reduce food intake.

Here is DietsInReview’s evaluation of the REALIZE Band. Similar to the popular LAP Band, the REALIZE Band features a comprehensive program that includes fitness and diet tools and now real life stories from REALIZE users who are chronicling their weight loss journey via the device’s website. (more…)

Posted on July 9, 2023 by heather