Swedish Adjustable gastric band
In 1985, Dr. Dag Hallberg was granted a patent in the Scandinavian countries for the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB). At the Swedish Surgical Society, Dr. Hallberg presented his idea of the "balloon band" in late March of 1985. He then started to use the SAGB in a controlled series of 50 procedures in late March. At this time, laparoscopic surgery was not common and Dr. Hallberg and his assistant, Dr. Peter Forsell, then began performing the open technique to implant the SAGB. In 1992, Dr. Forsell was in contact with different surgeons in Germany, Italy and Switzerland who began use the laparoscopic technique to implant the SAGB. Dr. Forsell fully owned the patent at this time. In 1994, at an international workshop for bariatric surgery in Sweden, Dr. Forsell presented the SAGB. From then on the SAGB began being laparoscopically implanted. During this period, the SAGB was produced by ATOS Medical, a Swedish company. Outside the U.S. the REALIZE Band is marketed as the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB). It has been available commercially outside the United States since 1996. It has been used by more than 100,000 patients worldwide to help manage their weight.
In a gastric band procedure with the REALIZE Band, a soft, adjustable silicone band is wrapped around the stomach to create two chambers: a small upper stomach with a narrow opening to the lower stomach. Following the procedure, the stomach pouch can hold only about four ounces of food, which therefore limits food intake and makes patients feel full quicker faster and for a longer time period which slows digestion. Once the band is located, surgeons then attach the REALIZE Injection Port underneath the skin to the abdominal wall. The REALIZE Injection Port Applier is then used which can be accomplished in under a minute thereby decreasing anesthesia time. The REALIZE Injection Port then allows doctors to remove or inject saline to loosen or tighten the band. As the band is tightened the quicker the stomach pouch fills up and the smaller amount of food a person can eat. Periodically, adjustments should be made based on the patient's individual needs. The REALIZE Band, known as the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB) outside of the United States, has been used in patients since 1986. Safety and comfort of the patient were the core principles used to design the SAGB and those principles are incorporated in the current REALIZE Bands. The successful performance of the original low pressure, soft balloon design is confirmed by over 20 years of data.
Patients have been shown to achieve and maintain a healthier weight with the help of the REALIZE Band. In a three year clinical trial, 43% of patients were able to reduce their average Body Mass Index (BMI) from 44 to 36 in the first year following surgery and lost an average of 40% of their excess weight at the one year anniversary. Patients were also continuously able to maintain this decreased BMI through their third year. Only the REALIZE Band provides a Web based clinical support tool shown to help patients lose more weight. REALIZE Band patients who consistently use REALIZE mySUCCESS® lose considerably more weight in the first year after surgery.
