Allergan, the manufacturer of the Lap-Band, is urging doctors across the US to use their product more often, in place of the more common gastric bypass or stomach stapling procedure.

The gastric bypass and stomach stapling operations are serious operations, that require invasive surgery and a long recovery.

Both treatments involve cutting and re-routing the stomach, whereas the Lap-Band can be placed using keyhole incisions, which is much less painful and also needs a shorter recovery time, both in hospital and at home.

More than 60,000 patients around the world have already had the Lap-Band fitted, according to Allergan statistics, with the procedure costing between $12,000 and $20,000.

The Lap-Band is already available for doctors to fit in any patient they believe would benefit for the treatment, though FDA approval is still needed for Allergan to market the product to other groups. At the moment, Allergan is investigating the possibility of fitting the Lap-Band in young people aged between 14 and 17.

There are other similar products on the market, that provide a simpler alternative to the the gastric bypass and stomach stapling procedures, including Realize, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson.