Lap Band Approved for Wider Use

Lap bands were originally only approved for people suffering from severe obesity, but now the FDA has approved lap bands for people who are much less obese.

Allergan, the company that makes lap bands, can now market to people who have a body mass index as low as 30 if they have a medical-related condition such as high blood pressure. That means someone 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 215 pounds, could possibly qualify for the surgery.

The change has some people scrambling for the surgery. Dozens of people showed up to Cedars-Sinai on Thursday for the procedure.

Lap band surgery works like this -- an inflatable ring is wrapped around the top of the stomach that restricts what people can eat, says gastric surgeon Alan Wittgrove.

"People don't necessarily get their hunger turned off, but they are restricted so they can't eat the same amounts," said Wittgrove, who practices in San Diego.

With an estimated 37 million people now eligible for lap band surgery, Wittgrove says, it is important to pick a surgical center that specializes in weight loss.

"Patients should always know the morbidity and mortality rate of their center where they're going to have the surgery, what that risk is," Wittgrove said.

Lap band surgery can cost anywhere from $12,000 to $20,000.

The approval could make it more likely insurance companies will pay for the surgery.

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