We are no longer accepting cases regarding these products. Due to a terrible Supreme Court ruling, consumers injured by this product are no longer permitted to sue the manufacturers of this device. We wish we could help, but the Supreme Court has taken the rights of citizens away to protect the profits of medical device manufacturers. For more information, please read the following New York Times article entitled “Medical Device Ruling Redraws Lines on Lawsuits.“
In a 2006 article titled “Quality of life after laparoscopic gastric banding: Prospective study (152 cases) with a follow-up of 2 years.” by A. Champault et al, published in Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques set out to determine the quality of life in patients who had used laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding systems for weight loss after two years.
Researchers write “The objectives of surgical therapy in patients with morbid obesity are reduction of body weight, and a positive influence on the obesity-related comorbidity as well the concomitant psychologic and social restrictions of these patients.”
To perform this study, Champault et al. (2006) studies 152 patients who had a gastric banding system implanted between October 1999 and January 2001. After surgery, the team found that “BMI dropped from 44.3 to 29.6 kg/m and all comorbid conditions improved markedly: diabetes melitus resolved in 71% of the patients, hypertension in 33%, and sleep apnea in 90%”, showing that gastric banding was indeed quite effective.
It was also found, however, that “26 patients (17%) had late complications requiring reoperation.” This represents more than a 300% increase in reoperation rates compared to those reported by Allergan, the manufacturer of the ever popular LAP-BAND gastric banding system.
With the publication of papers such as this, demonstrating such a discrepancy between risk rates reported by manufacturers and those determined by independent researchers, a number of LAP-BAND lawsuits were filed.
Our Allergan LAP-BAND Lawsuit Information page is a great place to start if you have any questions about the Allergan LAP-BAND.