Lap Band History

lap band historyThe History of Allergan’s LAP-BAND® System:

The LAP-BAND® system has the longest history of Gastric Band success in the United States. Over 650,000 units have been sold worldwide since its introduction.

The origins of the LAP-BAND® system date back over 25 years. In 1986 the first use of an open adjustable silicone gastric banding (ASGB) introduced the world to a new and promising method of weight loss surgery.

In April of 1990, ASGB was first introduced and used in Europe. Shortly after, in December of 1990, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first ASGB clinical trial in the United States and the first US patient surgery of its kind took place.

A few years later, in 1993, the first laparoscopic adjustable gastric band was used in Europe. The surgery was in Belgium and used the LAP-BAND® system.

In 1995, the LAP-BAND® system was approved for clinical trial in the United States. Six years later in 2001, the system was approved by the FDA and became available to patients in the United States.

Sales of the LAP-BAND® system exceeded 100,000 for the first time just five short years later, in 2006. The next year, the third generation LAP-BAND AP® System, the most advanced gastric banding technology available, was launched. This same year, LAP-BAND® sales hit 300,000 units.

Finally, in January of 2011, just ten years after the system’s FDA-approval, sales topped 650,000 units.