History of the LAP-BAND® System

The advantages of laparoscopic abdominal procedures are well-known and include reduced pain and trauma, shortened hospital stay and quicker recovery. However, in the early 1990s when laparoscopic procedures became popular, laparoscopic weight-loss procedures were still a challenge due to the technical difficulties associated with patient excess weight.

Open adjustable silicone gastric banding (ASGB) was already introduced at that time by Dr. Lubomyr Kuzmak (New Jersey, U.S.). In 1991, Drs. Mitiku Belachew and M. Legrand (Huy, Belgium), working on a confidential project with INAMED (then Inamed Development Company), started the development of laparoscopic gastric banding for the treatment of the seriously overweight. After two years of design, development work and testing of various prototypes and variations of the technique in an animal lab, a video of the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in an animal model was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) in June 1993.

The presentation was greeted with a lot of enthusiasm, and the first human laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedure was performed on September 1, 1993, in Huy, Belgium. From September 1993 to February 1994, twenty-five consecutive patients underwent the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedure in the clinical trial program in Belgium. In March 1994, the First International Workshop on laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, including 30 surgeons from around the world, was held in Huy, Belgium.

Thereafter, more workshops were organized worldwide. A policy was developed by Allergan Health not to sell the device to until physicians participate in a training program at an approved center. Before entering a training program, surgeons are required to have extensive experience in bariatric procedures, as well as advanced laparoscopic skills. Experience and qualification in the management of seriously overweight patients were also necessary.

On Sept. 28, 1999, the LAP-BAND® System became available on the market in Canada to be used by the trained physicians. In June 1995, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved clinical trials in selected U.S. centers. The LAP-BAND® System was approved for use in the United States in June 2001.

To date, over 250,000 devices have been implanted worldwide, allowing thousands of patients to lose weight and keep it off, reduce health risks and live a happier life. Benefits of this safe and least invasive procedure are now well known in North America and abroad. We at Allergan, Inc, continue to refine the LAP-BAND® System and placement technique in conjunction with physicians around the world to achieve better outcomes for our patients.

Timeline

  • June, 1986

    First use of open adjustable silicone gastric banding (ASGB)

  • April, 1990

    First use of ASGB in Europe

  • December, 1990

    ASBG FDA-approved clinical trial started in the U.S. with the first patient surgery 9/91 First ASGB workshop in Europe

  • September, 1993

    First laparoscopic adjustable gastric band used in Europe

  • March, 1994

    First LAP-BAND® System workshop in Europe

  • June, 1995

    LAP-BAND® System FDA-approved clinical trial started in the U.S. with the first patient procedure in the United States

  • Sept, 1999

    LAP-BAND® System is approved by H.P.B. for use in Canada

  • June, 2001

    The LAP-BAND® System is approved by the FDA for use in the United States

  • November, 2005

    200,000 LAP-BAND® Systems implanted worldwide