Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band.
Only a fraction of morbidly obese patients have come forward for bariatric surgery. This article confirms that the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) is a safe, effective, primary weight-loss operation for morbidly obese patients. The LAGB offers a simple, genuinely minimally invasive approach, with the potential to be attractive to many more patients. The key questions are whether it is effective in the longterm and whether it is safe. The midterm data confirm that, so far, LAGB is living up to its early promise as an effective tool. LAGB surgery is safe, and the change to the pars-flaccida approach will lead to even higher patient satisfaction and lower incidence of band removal.
Fielding
George A
GA
Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, 530 First Avenue, Suite 10 S, New York, NY 10016, USA. george.fielding@med.nyu.edu
Ren
Christine J
CJ
D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015431:Weight Loss