The Lap-Band System is a surgical weight-loss device that was approved for use by the Federal Drug Administration in 2001. In the Lap-Band System U.S. clinical trial, according to an FDA document, the device helped obese patients lose an average of 36 percent of their excess weight within three years of having the device implanted.
Laparoscopic gastric banding is a form of weight loss surgery. Designed for patients who are very overweight, it allows people who are otherwise unable to lose weight to achieve a more healthy size.
The Lap-Band procedure, though effective, is also somewhat costly. However, a variety of options is available for people with and without insurance--options that can give people their lives and health back again.
However, as is the case with many elective medical procedures, the cost of Lap-Band surgery is often the deciding factor for whether or not a patient will have the procedure.
