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REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band

Achieve and maintain a healthier weight with the REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band

The REALIZE® Adjustable Gastric Band provides a safe and effective way to achieve and maintain a healthier weight—without cutting or stapling your stomach. The band limits the amount of food you can eat at one time. As a result, you feel full sooner and stay satisfied longer. That makes it easier to adopt, and stick with, healthy eating and lifestyle habits. Learn more about how the REALIZE® Band works to help you lose weight.

Includes exclusive access to the only Web-based clinical support tool shown to help REALIZE Band patients lose more weight.

The REALIZE® Band works in tandem with the REALIZE mySUCCESS® Program to help you achieve your weight loss goals. This Web-based clinical support tool is designed to help you achieve and maintain a healthier weight.

REALIZE mySUCCESS® was developed in consultation with surgeons, dietitians, and behavior modification specialists who identified two essential stages for success following surgery. Stage 1: Building healthy habits over the first 18 months. Stage 2: Staying motivated, on track, and connected with your bariatric practice over the next 18 months and beyond.

You'll learn and practice strategies that will help cement your healthy habits—and help you achieve your healthier weight. In fact, it has been shown that REALIZE Band patients who frequently use REALIZE mySUCCESS® lose significantly more weight.* REALIZE mySUCCESS® also keeps you connected with your bariatric team and allows your doctor to step in precisely when needed to keep you on track. You and your doctor can watch your progress and fine-tune your plan.

How the REALIZE® Band Works

How the REALIZE® Adjustable Gastric Band helps you lose weight

During the gastric band procedure, the REALIZE Band is placed around the uppermost part of the stomach, dividing it into two parts: a small upper pouch and a lower stomach. The upper pouch can hold only about 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of food. As a result, you eat less food at one time, feel full sooner, and feel satisfied longer. The goal is to lose weight gradually, at a healthy rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week.

No part of your stomach is stapled or removed during surgery, and your intestines are not rerouted, so you can continue to absorb nutrients from food.

The REALIZE Band is made entirely of biocompatible materials, which means it's able to be placed inside your body without causing harm. The side of the REALIZE Band that fits against your stomach is lined with a soft balloon. After the gastric banding surgery, saline (a safe fluid) is delivered into the balloon to control the band tightness.

The degree of band tightness affects how much food you can eat during a meal and the length of time it takes for food to empty from the upper pouch. When the band is adjusted to the proper tightness, you'll feel full sooner and stay fuller longer. As the REALIZE Band helps you eat less food, your body will stop storing excess calories and start using its fat supply for energy.

The procedure to place the REALIZE Band

The REALIZE Band is implanted using laparoscopic (minimally invasive) surgery while you're under anesthesia. Laparoscopic surgery is performed using small incisions—and usually means a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, smaller scars, and less pain than open surgical procedures.

How laparoscopic surgery works

A small incision (less than 1/2 inch) is made near the belly button. Carbon dioxide (a gas that occurs naturally in the body) is introduced into the abdomen to create a work space for the surgeon. Then a small laparoscopic camera is placed through the incision into the abdomen.

The camera sends a picture of the stomach and abdominal cavity to a video monitor. It gives the surgeon a good view of the key structures in the abdominal cavity. A few additional, small incisions are made in the abdomen. The surgeon watches the video monitor and works through these small incisions using instruments with long handles to complete the procedure. The surgeon creates a small, circular tunnel behind the stomach, inserts the gastric band through the tunnel, and locks the band around the stomach.

If the thought of surgery makes you anxious, we encourage you to attend a bariatric information seminar, hosted by a REALIZE Band trained surgeon. There's no better way to have your questions answered and to get all the information you need about a healthy lifestyle. You'll learn what happens on the day of bariatric surgery, what expectations you should have for recovery, and more.

The low-profile REALIZE Port

During the REALIZE Band procedure, a port made from an implant-grade medical plastic and silicone is fastened usually about 2 inches below the rib cage on the left or right side. (The exact location will depend upon your body shape and your surgeon's decision.) The port is used to deliver saline into the balloon via thin, flexible tubing.

The REALIZE Port, which is completely enclosed inside the body, has the lowest profile of any injection port to minimize its appearance under the skin, even as you lose weight. You may be able to feel the port by gently pressing on your abdomen, but you probably won't notice it at all. The port design also allows your surgeon to locate it easily for band adjustments.

Band adjustments help you meet your weight loss goals

The REALIZE Band is adjustable, which allows your bariatric surgeon to personalize your band fit over time. After an adjustment, you'll be satisfied with less food, so you can keep losing weight gradually (1 to 2 pounds per week).

As you lose weight, your REALIZE Band fit will change. Periodic band adjustments ensure that the amount of saline in your band (often called a "fill level") is comfortable for you and keeps you on track to meet your weight loss goals. Fast and easy band adjustments take place at your surgeon's office, clinic, or hospital.

Intended for long-term use

The REALIZE® Band is intended for long-term use. Because adjustable gastric banding surgery does not permanently change the anatomy of the stomach and intestines, the REALIZE® Band can be removed, if necessary. Please keep in mind that surgery reversal is not simple, and weight gain is usually observed in people who have had their bands removed and do not continue a healthy eating regimen.

Find Out If You’re a Candidate for Bariatric Surgery

Take the eligibility quiz to see if you’re ready for bariatric surgery

There are many different factors that affect your ability to qualify for bariatric surgery. One of the most important factors is your body mass index (BMI). BMI is used as a measurement of body fat based on height and weight. The formula for determining your BMI is (weight in pounds) divided by (height in inches squared).

According to the guidelines established by the National Institutes of Health, the REALIZE™ Solution† for bariatric surgery may be right for you if:

The REALIZE Solution for gastric banding, gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy can help you achieve and maintain a healthier weight. However, bariatric surgery isn’t for everyone. It requires a commitment to a healthy, active lifestyle. And you must qualify for surgery. For some people, surgery isn’t an option because of medical conditions or other issues. Only you and your weight loss surgeon can evaluate your situation and decide if bariatric surgery is right for you.

Are you prepared?

Meeting the physical requirements for surgery is only the beginning. Attending a free information seminar hosted by a bariatric clinic is the next important step in the consideration process. You’ll learn about surgical options for weight loss, you’ll meet bariatric team members who will support you before and long after your surgery, and you may also hear from patients who have had weight loss surgery. There’s no pressure to make a commitment—and no better way to get the answers you’re looking for. Of course, family and friends are welcome, too.

Use our seminar finder to locate a seminar in your area, and register to ensure that you have a seat because seminars often fill up.

Want to talk it over? We’re ready to help. Call us at 1-866-300-1818 if you have questions or concerns or want help finding a seminar near you.

Situations where bariatric surgery may not be an option

For some people, bariatric surgery is not an option. Certain health conditions can cause serious complications during or after bariatric surgery, leading to serious and perhaps long-term health issues or even death.

Situations where the risks are greater than the benefits gained from surgery are called contraindications. Your bariatric surgeon will evaluate your medical history for any conditions that might put you at increased risk during or after surgery.

To assist your weight loss surgeon, tell him or her if you have any of the following conditions:

Remember, your bariatric surgeon will decide if weight loss surgery is safe for you.

REALIZE® Band Adjustment and Fills

Gastric band adjustments and band fills

Periodic adjustments to your band will ensure that you feel satisfied when you eat and that you keep losing weight gradually, about 1 to 2 pounds per week. The REALIZE® Adjustable Gastric Band is one-size-fits-all, which means your bariatric surgeon won't have to decide which size to use during your surgery.

Band adjustments help you meet your weight loss goals

The REALIZE Band is adjustable, which allows your surgeon to personalize your band fit over time. After an adjustment, you'll be satisfied with less food so you can keep losing weight gradually (1 to 2 pounds per week).

Adjusting your band fit over time

Your first band adjustment will probably be scheduled about 1 week after you begin to eat solid food (4 to 6 weeks after surgery), to ensure that your stomach is healed.8 As you lose weight, your REALIZE Band fit will change. Periodic band adjustments help ensure that you stay on track to meet your weight loss goals.

Just 5 to 10 minutes

Fast and easy band adjustments take place at your surgeon's office or bariatric clinic—and they do not require more surgery. An adjustment in which fluid is added is referred to as a "fill." In this case a small amount of saline is added through the REALIZE Port, which is located in the abdomen, just under the skin. The saline travels through the tube and into the band, making the band fit more snugly around your stomach. This reduces the size of the opening between the upper and lower stomach pouches and causes food to empty from your upper stomach pouch more slowly. That's why you'll feel full sooner and stay satisfied longer after a band fill. An adjustment can also involve removing saline from the band through the port.

Your band adjustment schedule

There is no set schedule for band adjustments because each person's needs are different. Listening to your band (paying attention to physical signs) and tracking your weight loss will help you to know when it may be time for an adjustment.

Use the REALIZE mySUCCESS® Program to track your weight, your measurements, and what you eat. If you notice that you haven't lost weight in several weeks, it may be time for a band fill. REALIZE mySUCCESS® can help you and your surgeon identify when weight loss levels off or is not occurring gradually, so you can schedule doctor visits as needed. The timing and number of band adjustments will be different for everyone. Patients generally need an average of four adjustments during their first year, two during their second year, and two during their third year after surgery.

REALIZE mySUCCESS® is exclusive to the REALIZE® Solution† for gastric banding, gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy. And it's just one example of the differences between REALIZE Band and the LAP-BAND System.

The REALIZE Port has the lowest profile of any injection port to minimize its appearance under the skin, even as you lose weight.

Learn more about band fills at an information seminar

If you're considering adjustable gastric banding, we encourage you to attend an information seminar hosted by a REALIZE Band trained surgeon. You'll learn about surgical options, you'll meet bariatric team members who will support you before and long after your surgery, and you may also hear from patients who have had weight loss surgery. There's no pressure to make a commitment—and no better way to get the answers you're looking for. Of course, family and friends are welcome, too.

Realize Band Support

RealizeBandSupport.com

Launched first quarter of 2011, RealizeBandSupport is an online community dedicated to the Realize® Band Surgery. RealizeBandSupport's audience consists of potential and post-op Realize® Band patients.  RealizeBandSupport offers it's members discussion forums, online support groups, member blogs, Realize® Band Surgeon reviews, photo galleries containing before and after pictures, live member chat rooms with audio and video plus many other useful features.

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