Improvement of physical functioning of morbidly obese patients who have undergone a Lap-Band operation: one-year study.
BACKGROUND
The Netherlands has a population of 20,000 morbidly obese patients, an average of 350 of whom per year undergo a stomach reduction operation involving the surgical placement of a Lap-Band. The quality of life (OOL) of a sample of female patients who underwent this operation was studied in a 1-year postoperative study.


METHODS
The Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) was used to assess 1-year postoperative quality of life among a sample of 39 female patients aged 19-53 years. QOL was measured at most 20 h preoperatively and 1 year postoperatively using a randomized pretest/posttest design. Statistical data, after transformation, were analyzed with SPSS Version 7.5 for Windows 95.


RESULTS
The response rate of 92.9% of patients polled was good, in contrast to earlier findings with this measuring instrument. Mean body mass index (BMI) declined from 40.86 kg/m2 preoperatively to 33.14 kg/m2 1 year postoperatively. QOL improved on all scores in the MOS SF-36. Internal consistency of the scales used was high.


CONCLUSIONS
The response rate to the MOS SF-36 questionnaire was high. The surgical placement of a Lap-Band resulted in a significant improvement of QOL (1 year postoperatively) on all scores used. The internal consistency of the scales used was high.
Hörchner
R
R
Department of Clinical Research, Red Cross Hospital, Beverwijk, The Netherlands.
Tuinebreijer
W
W
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life