Want to talk it over? We're ready to help. 1-866-300-1818
Surgical Procedures
Obesity and Your HealthREALIZE Band
How the REALIZE Band WorksAbout Band AdjustmentsCompare to LAP-BAND®
The REALIZE Solution for Bypass and Sleeve
Online Support ProgramQualify for SurgeryInsurance and FinancingPreparing for SurgeryLife after SurgeryReal People, Real StoriesRisks and BenefitsAdditional Resources

Surgeon/Seminar Finder

State:
OR
Zip Code:
See how the REALIZE™ Band is Different than LAP-BAND®

The REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band is a safe and effective weight loss tool, supported by over 20 years of worldwide clinical experience and ongoing innovation. The following information provides an overview of the differences between the two gastric bands available in the U.S. – the REALIZE Band and LAP-BAND®. 

Here are the many reasons the REALIZE Band is like no other.

No adjustable gastric band is safer or more effective for weight loss than the REALIZE Band.33

The REALIZE Band, known as the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB) outside of the United States, has been used in patients since 1986. The core principles used to design the SAGB had patients’ safety and comfort in mind—and those principles are incorporated in the current REALIZE Bands. Over 20 years of data confirm the successful performance of the original soft, low-pressure balloon design.

Order a free REALIZE Band Brochure

Learn More About What Makes the REALIZE Band Different.

Attend a free informational seminar

There's no pressure to make a commitment—and no better way to get the answers you're looking for.
Learn more >

Shown to help patients achieve and maintain a healthier weight.
Patients in a 3-year clinical trial: 

  • Lost a mean of 40% of their excess weight at one year, and 43% at three years.33
  • Were able to reduce their (average) BMI from 44 to 36 in the first year after surgery. Patients were able to maintain their reduced BMI through their third year.33

Only the REALIZE Band provides a Web-based clinical support tool shown to help patients lose more weight.*

Unlike My LAP-BAND® Journey, REALIZE mySUCCESS® enables your doctor to monitor your progress—and step in when needed to provide guidance and help keep you on track. Through our unique tool, you and your surgeon will create a tailored plan to help you develop healthy habits in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, and emotional well-being. This level of support is especially important for the critical first three years after surgery, as you adjust to your new lifestyle. Enrollment starts before surgery and continues for as long as you need it.

REALIZE Band patients who consistently use REALIZE mySUCCESS® lose significantly more weight in the first year after surgery.*

Designed with your safety and comfort in mind.

  • The REALIZE Injection Port has the lowest profile of any injection port to minimize its appearance under the skin, even as you lose weight.33
  • The REALIZE Band offers a high-volume, low-pressure balloon.33 It’s designed to reduce the potential for tissue trauma.
  • As the widest band available (23mm), the REALIZE Band is designed to decrease the potential for band slippage.33 If a band slips, it would need to be replaced or adjusted through another surgical procedure.
  • No adjustable gastric band has a lower leak rate than the REALIZE Band.34 If a band leaks, it would need to be removed, requiring a second surgical procedure to replace the band.
  • Patients receiving a REALIZE Band may experience less pain and less time under anesthesia than patients receiving gastric bands with sutured ports.35
Product and Support Comparison
Table: Product and Support Comparison
Feature REALIZE Band LAP-BAND®
Bands AvailableREALIZE™ Adjustable Gastric Band
REALIZE™ Adjustable Gastric Band-C
  • More than 20 years of experience with the same band didn’t indicate the need for multiple sizes. REALIZE Band-C has a 14% greater adjustment range than the REALIZE Band.38 But both the REALIZE Band and REALIZE Band-C are one-size-fits-all. This prevents surgeons from having to make the decision about which size to use during surgery.
  • LAP-BAND® AP-L
  • LAP-BAND® AP-S
  • Vanguard
  • LAP-BAND® 9.75
  • LAP-BAND® 10.0 36
Range of Adjustments REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band
REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band-C
  • REALIZE Band and REALIZE Band-C share the same clinically proven high-volume, low-pressure balloon design.37
  • With the REALIZE low-pressure balloon, filling does not cause the material to strain or stretch. A balloon that is not under strain is able to conform to tissue more easily than a balloon under strain.38
  • As you can see in the graph below, the REALIZE Band and REALIZE Band-C always remain in the low-pressure zone.38
LAP-BAND® Products
  • LAP-BAND® balloon walls strain when filled to less than half of their maximum fill volume.38
  • As you can see in the graph below, the LAP-BAND® products cross into the high-pressure zone early in their adjustment range.38
Figure 1: REALIZE Band and REALIZE Band-C always remain in the low-pressure zone.38
360 degree coverage Yes Yes
Fill Volume RangeFigure 2: REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band-C has the largest isostatic adjustment range on the market.38
Injection Port SystemType: Sutureless
  • The lowest profile of any injection port to minimize its appearance under the skin, even as you lose weight.33
  • The REALIZE Port Applier enables your surgeon to place the port in less than one minute33—reducing the time you'll spend under anesthesia by up to 19%35 (from 38 minutes to 31 minutes).
  • Patients treated with the REALIZE Port Applier reported significantly less pain around the port than those whose injection port was attached by stitches.35
  • Offers up to 46% greater tubing protection than Allergan Access Port I and Access Port II33 to minimize the potential for the tube connecting the port to the band to be punctured by the needle during a routine band adjustment. If the tube were punctured, another procedure would be required to fix the leaky tube.
  • The REALIZE tissue anchor system is 66% stronger than sutures,** and because of this, it allows for port stability.33
Type: Sutured
  • Uses stitches (sutures) to attach the injection port.
  • Suturing ports can increase total operative time up to 19%.35
  • Sutures** are not as strong as the REALIZE™ tissue anchor system.33
Online SupportProvides the REALIZE mySUCCESS® Web-based clinical support tool
  • REALIZE Band patients who consistently use REALIZE mySUCCESS® lose significantly more weight in the first year after surgery.*
  • Enables your doctor to monitor your progress and step in when needed to provide guidance and help keep you on track.
  • Enables patients to communicate with their surgeon, share tips and lessons learned with other patients, set fitness goals, keep a food diary, read articles, set reminders, and more.
  • Developed in collaboration with leading international healthcare experts, fitness professionals, dietitians, and psychologists who specialize in behavior modification.
Offers My LAP-BAND® Journey
  • Enables patients to track goals, measurements, and set reminders.
  • No connection to the surgeon.
** As tested using four 2-0 Prolene sutures.
Learn more at an informational seminar

To get a more complete understanding of the differences between the two bands, we encourage you to attend a free informational seminar, hosted by a bariatric surgery clinic. You’ll learn about surgical options, meet bariatric team members who will support you before and long after your surgery. 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.

Next: The REALIZE Solution for Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy >

* Based on 12 months of patient-reported data from REALIZE Band patients using REALIZE mySUCCESS®. Frequent users were in the top third of patients based on frequency of entering a weight into REALIZE mySUCCESS®. Source: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, data on file.32

LAP-BAND® is a registered trademark of Allergan, Inc.

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. a Johnson and Johnson company
© 2010 Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. DSL#07-0962
This site is published by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., which is solely responsible for its contents, and is intended for U.S. audiences only. This site is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Only your physician can diagnose and appropriately treat your symptoms.
Valid only in the United States. REALIZE™ and REALIZE mySUCCESS® are trademarks of Ethicon Endo-Surgery.