title: [Surgical therapy of morbid obesity: indications, technique of laparoscopic gastric banding and initial results].
abstract: Severe obesity with co-morbidity such as diabetes mellitus, cardiac failure, obesity hypoventilation, degenerative bone diseases and increased incidence of malignancy give rise to shorter life expectancy and have an impact on quality of life. This results in higher costs of health care and work absence. Surgical procedures have become commonplace in the therapy of morbid obesity because of the infrequent success of medical treatment. We performed a horizontal gastroplasty by laparoscopic adjustable silicon gastric banding (LASGB) on 60 patients between 1. 11. 1995 and 28. 2. 1997. The average excess above normal weight was 62 kg, the median BMI (Body-Mass-Index) was 46.44 kg/m2. Fifty-nine procedures were performed by the laparoscopic method and one with an open technique. The average postoperative hospital stay was five days. Due to dorsal slipping or pouch enlargement the procedure had to be repeated on 6 patients (10%). The median loss of weight in the first three months was 14.78 kg, after six months 24.14 kg and after nine months 35.1 kg. Insulin treatment for three patients suffering diabetes mellitus could be discontinued-in addition blood sugar levels in six patients normalised. Two patients with obstructive sleep-apnea syndrome no longer needed a nocturnal Nasal-Continuous-Positive-Airway-Pressure-(nCPAP-)Therapy. To provide a better quality of life to this group of patients, the gastric banding is a suitable method for carefully evaluated and followed patients. In addition improved ability to work and reduction of health care costs due to co-morbidity and joint diseases have a positive economic impact.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Chirurgie, Kantonsspital St. Gallen.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stieger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thurnheer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lange
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020706:Laparoscopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology