title: Vertical gastric banding for morbid obesity: a long-term follow-up study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the long-term results of vertical gastric banding for morbid obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Follow-up study.
  
  
  METHODS
  County hospital, Denmark.
  
  
  METHODS
  56 patients aged 20-55 years, 45 of whom were women. The median preoperative body mass index (BMI) was 41.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vertical gastric banding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Morbidity, weight and BMI before and 6, 12,24, and 36 months after the operation as well as in late 1999, a median of 15 years after the operation, together with a simple quality of life assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Minor complications were seen in 13 patients (23%) and major complications in 2 (4%). One patient died (2%). The median reduction in BMI 15 years after the operation was 22% (p < 0.0001). Thirteen patients (23%) had the gastric band removed because of penetration or stenosis. There was no significant difference in weight loss between these patients and the others. 41 (79%) of the 52 surviving patients attended the final follow-up. Late symptoms, dysphagia and heartburn, were seen in 16 (39%) and 24 (59%) of these 41 patients, respectively. Twenty-seven of the 41 patients (66%) stated that their quality of life had improved. The improvement in quality of life was significantly related to loss of weight (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vertical gastric banding is an effective operation for morbid obesity with a low morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery A, Hillerød County Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Waaddegaard
authors.forename: Thorkild
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clemmesen
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jess
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome