title: Treatment of Morbid Obesity Using an Adjustable Gastric Banding System.
abstract: Morbid obesity is a serious disease that is responsible for several co-morbid conditions. Patients with a body mass index of over 40 kg/m2 will require surgical intervention if a dietary program fails. In the US, patients who are morbidly obese number approximately 8 million. At present, three conventional operations, with acceptable early and late complication rates, are performed most frequently worldwide: vertical gastroplasty (VRG), vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG), and gastric bypass (GB). In this article, we describe our experience with the LAP-BAND technique, and in particular with the new LAP-BAND adjustable gastric banding system (LAGB), which further reduces postoperative complications and reoperations.
authors.affiliation: Chief Resident, Department of Surgery, Hospital Nordwest, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bockhorn
authors.forename: Davorin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wagner