June 2007

 First Lap-Band Procedure Performed at Egleston by Dr. Wulkan

Dr. Mark Wulkan performed the first pediatric Lap-Band® procedure ever done at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston on June 21, 2007. The 17-year-old patient is home and recovering well.

Involving the placement of an adjustable laparoscopic gastric band that creates a small stomach pouch, the minimally invasive Lap-Band® procedure offers an alternative to gastric bypass surgery to obese teens struggling with major medical complications as a result of their excess weight. By injecting or removing saline contained within the band, it can be tightened or loosened as necessary. Currently, the procedure is only being performed at a few pediatric centers in the United States.

Although the procedure has been performed on adults since 2001, it has not been officially approved for children under 18. The procedure is currently being performed off-label or under investigation.

During the surgery, four to five small incisions are made in the abdomen and a band about the size of a shower curtain ring is cinched around the upper portion of the stomach to create a small pouch below the esophagus. The constriction slows the passage of food from the pouch into the remainder of the stomach and causes the patient to feel full quicker. By injecting or removing saline contained within the band, it is possible to tighten or loosen it as necessary.

Unlike the gastric bypass operation, which involves cutting or stapling the stomach to permanently decrease its size, the lap band is adjustable and potentially reversible. Adjustable gastric banding also has a better safety profile than gastric bypass.

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