Some providers have extended the use of gastric band surgery to patients with lower body mass indexes, following a recent FDA decision to lower the BMI threshold, according to a report by Mass Device.
For example, the Davis Clinic in Houston will offer the weight-loss surgery for the new range of obese patients, using Allergan's Lap-Band device.
Previously, gastric banding surgery was approved only for patients with a BMI of 35 or higher. In February, the FDA expanded use to patients with a BMI of 30 or who also have a co-morbid condition such as diabetes or hypertension, allowing about 26 million more people to get the surgery.
Read the Mass Device report on gastric banding.
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