title: Quality of life following laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding - the Swedish band and the Moorehead-Ardelt questionnaire.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although weight loss is an important immediate outcome after gastric banding operations, quality of life (QOL) has been shown to be an equally important outcome measure.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1996 to May 2002, 125 consecutive patients have been operated laparoscopically for morbid obesity at our institution with the Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB). We compared the Moorehead-Ardelt QOL scores of the first 60 patients, operated at a median of 2 years earlier, with a group consisting of the following consecutive 65 patients, who answered the questionnaire preoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The QOL scores among the operated patients were significantly better (P<0.0001, unpaired t-test) on all domains of the Moorehead-Ardelt questionnaire compared to those not yet operated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic banding with the SAGB has been a safe procedure, with satisfactory weight loss and significant improvement in QOL scores 2 years postoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Vasa Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tolonen
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Victorzon
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss