To qualify for surgery a person must be approximately 100 pounds or more overweight, having a BMI greater than 35.
If your body mass index is between 35 and 40, you must have at least one or more additional health problems associated with obesity:
- Diabetes
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Hypertension
- Severe Acid Reflux (GERD)
- Degenerative Joint Disease (Severe Joint Pain)
- Shortness of Breath
- Depression
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a change in the minimum weight requirement for use of the LAP BAND System. This change was sparked by research which has clearly shown the LAP BAND to be a very safe procedure which has the potential to provide significant weight loss and help resolve many chronic medical conditions even in smaller patients. The new FDA weight criteria for use of the LAP BAND has been lowered to now include people having a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 30 and 35 as long as they have one or more medical conditions associated with obesity. This change has made the substantial benefits of the LAP BAND available to several million more Americans.