title: The Swedish Adjustable Gastric Banding (SAGB) for morbid obesity: 9 year experience and a 4-year follow-up of patients operated with a new adjustable band.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We have developed an adjustable gastric band in which the stoma diameter can be adjusted from the outside. A standardized technique was employed and the application of our band in terms of weight loss and complication rate was evaluated
  
  
  METHODS
  Between August 1990 and November 1991, 50 patients (15 men and 35 women) were operated on by laparotomy. Their mean age at surgery was 41 (19-60) years. Mean preoperative weight was 134 (106-181) kg and the mean BMI was 46 kg/m2 (range 33-59 kg/m2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No patient was lost to follow-up. Four were excluded from the study (brain tumor, pregnancy and two reoperations). The remaining 46 were followed for at least 4 years. At follow-up, mean weight was 80 kg and mean BMI was 27.5 kg/m2. The patients had lost a mean of 54 kg. Two patients (4%) had abdominal reoperation because of technical problems. There was one incisional hernia and one minor wound infection, but no other significant complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This relatively simple method appears to be at least as good as the other operations, and weight loss can be adjusted to patient comfort. Currently, the procedure is being performed laparoscopically.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Forsell
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hellers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006555:Hernia, Ventral / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007813:Laparotomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D011247:Pregnancy; D012086:Reoperation; D012828:Silicones; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D013548:Sweden; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D012828:Silicones