The first question you need to ask yourself is this: Are you truly ready to change your life? Are you tired of feeling self-conscious, worried about your health, and, well, tired? If so, you’re probably ready. We’re excited for you to be the next LAP-BAND^® System success story.

But before you take the next step, you have to know if you’re medically qualified for the safe and minimally invasive procedure.

While only your physician or LAP-BAND^® System Specialist can give you a complete medical evaluation, the information listed here should give you a good indication.

The first step is to determine if you’re overweight enough for the LAP-BAND^® System. Generally, if you are at least 30 pounds overweight with one or more obesity-related comorbid conditions, you might indeed qualify. However, you will need to determine your Body Mass Index (BMI).

The LAP-BAND^® System may be right for you if:¹

• Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is at least 35 kg/m² or you have a BMI of at least 30 kg/m² with one or more obesity-related comorbid conditions.
• You are at least 14 years old.
• Your serious weight loss attempts have had only short-term success.
• You are not currently suffering from any other disease that may have caused your excess weight.
• You are prepared to make major changes in your eating habits and lifestyle.
• You do not drink alcohol in excess.
• You are not currently pregnant. (Patients who become pregnant after band placement may require deflation of their bands.)

The LAP-BAND^® System is not right for you if:¹

• You have an inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, severe esophagitis, or Crohn’s disease.
• You have severe heart or lung disease, or any other disease that makes you a poor candidate for any surgery.
• You have a problem that could cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. That might include esophageal or gastric varices (dilated veins). It might also be something such as congenital or acquired intestinal telangiectasia (dilation of a small blood vessel).
• You have portal hypertension.
• Your esophagus, stomach, or intestine is not normal (congenital or acquired). For instance, you might have a narrowed opening.
• You have/have experienced an intraoperative gastric injury, such as a gastric perforation at or near the location of the intended band placement.
• You have cirrhosis.
• You have chronic pancreatitis.
• You are addicted to alcohol or drugs.
• You have an infection anywhere in your body, or one that could contaminate the surgical area.
• You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment.
• You might be allergic to materials in the device.
• You cannot tolerate pain from an implanted device.
• You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases.