Surgery for Obesity- An Update of a Randomized Trial.
BACKGROUND: A prospective, randomized trial comparing vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) and gastric bypass (GB) was performed on 106 patients between 1987 and 1990. METHODS AND RESULTS: Failures of these two operations (manifested by failure to lose weight, late weight gain or intolerance of adequate oral intake) were treated by means of a third operation, isolated gastric bypass (IGB), in which the small gastric pouch was isolated from the gastric fundus. The latter operation was significantly better than VBG or GB and achieved a 63% success rate, i.e. body mass index (BMI) < 35 kg m(2) and less than 50% excess weight. During the year following this trial an additional 54 patients underwent IGB. When this operation was performed for morbid obesity and was the Initial procedure, 96% of the patients achieved a successful result. If IGB was performed as a revision procedure or for super obesity (BMI > 50 kg m(2)), the success rate was 63% with 100% follow-up at 40 months. Major morbidity occurred in six of the 160 patients who underwent 195 operations (the trial period and subsequent year). There were no deaths and follow-up was 98%. CONCLUSIONS: The ideal gastric operation based on this study emphasizes the following requirements: a small pouch (< 15 ml) totally separated from the stomach, a pouch not dependent on staples, placed in the dependent position to prevent stasis, constructed without foreign material and with an anastomosis which permits ingestion of solid food.
MacLean
LD
Department of Surgery, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1A1, Canada.
Rhode
BM
Forse
RA
Nohr
R