ReShape Lifesciences has announced that the first procedures utilising the company’s next generation, enhanced Lap-Band 2.0 FLEX, have been carried out. As the name suggests, the Lap-Band 2.0 FLEX, includes FLEX technology that acts as a relief valve to alleviate discomfort from swallowing large pieces of food and eliminating the need for in-office band adjustments. According to the company, the technology allows the band to momentarily relax and then return to its original diameter, facilitating the passage of food and potentially making the Lap-Band a more viable long-term weight loss solution.
The procedures were performed by Dr Adam Smith, Bariatric Surgery Specialist and Chief Executive Officer of Ultimate Bariatrics in Dallas, Fort Worth, TX, and Dr Christine Ren-Fielding, Professor of Surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Director of NYU Langone Health’s Weight Management Program and Chief of the Division of Bariatric Surgery.
“As a long-time practitioner of the Lap-Band System, I have anticipated utilizing the Lap-Band 2.0 FLEX with great interest. I believe it will improve the patient experience by minimising the need for manual band adjustments, especially when related to the urgent need to relieve food obstructions,” commented Smith. “Specifically, pieces of food that were once too large to pass through the narrowed passage can now pass through easily because of the new FLEX technology, since it allows the band to relax momentarily and then return to its resting diameter. This ability for self-correction makes the Lap-Band 2.0 FLEX a better long-term weight loss solution for my patients and I look forward to increasing its usage in my practice, going forward.”
“The first surgeries utilising the Lap-Band 2.0 FLEX mark, not only a seminal moment in the company’s launch of this enhanced product, but also a leap forward in improving the Lap-Band patient experience,” stated Paul F Hickey, President and Chief Executive Officer of ReShape Lifesciences. “We believe, based on current surgeon feedback, that the Lap-Band 2.0 FLEX will lead to increased demand for Lap-Band surgery and will become a growth catalyst the Lap-Band franchise and the company.”