Lap Band Surgery For 30 BMI Patients

Of the Lap Band System only people with a Body Mass Index of 40 can benefit. But there were some doctors who wanted more, so they tried to see if extending the BMI could be a good idea, meaning it could be performed safely, without health risks. The results the doctors obtained and the FDA’s decision will be further discussed.



The clinical trial included 149 patients who were moderately obese and Dr. Timothy Ehrlich performed weight loss surgery on a fifth of them. Dr. Ehrlich is a highly experienced surgeon, as he had more surgeries than any other doctor in the state of Connecticut. He founded a bariatric surgery program in 2005 at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport and now is the director of bariatric surgery at Griffin Hospital.



Dr. Ehrlich’s 30 patients had a BMI between 30 and 40 and several health conditions which were related to their obesity such as depression, high cholesterol, knee pains, metabolic syndrome. One important conditions they need to meet was to have tried traditional methods of losing weight and failed, so that weight loss surgery would be the last resort. They would not have otherwise had the possibility to have bariatric surgery under the FDA conditions.



The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Gastroenterology and the Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee voted, taking into consideration the results of the study, which were all positive, and with 8-2 votes, they decided to recommend lap band surgery for medium obese persons.



One of the participants in the clinical trial was Lisa Molholt, who benefited of the low bmi lap band surgery, as shoe could not have otherwise been able to have the surgery if it wasn’t for the bmi change. With this surgery, she avoided a knee surgery and she regained her mobility and health. Dr. Timothy Ehrlich mentioned that lap band surgery could be a wonderful tool for any other patient, if they follow the strict rules.