title: Adjustable gastric banding in an ambulatory surgery center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We report our early experience with 343 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) as an outpatient procedure in a self-standing ambulatory surgery center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between Apr 2003 and Feb 2005, data was collected prospectively on 343 consecutive patients who underwent LAGB as an outpatient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 305 females (88.9%) and 38 males (11.1%), with mean age 43.5 years (+/-SD 9.9, range 19-67) and mean BMI 44.5 kg/m2 (+/-SD 6.1, range 32.7-62.7). Mean operating-room time was 52.9 (+/-16.3) minutes. 10 complications occurred in 9 patients (2.8%): 5 stoma occlusion, 3 port problems requiring port replacement, 1 superficial wound infection, and 1 colon perforation associated with adhesiolysis requiring band removal. 3 patients required admission to the hospital: 1 for nausea, 1 for observation after bloody nasogastric tube drainage, and 1 for dysphagia due to esophageal spasm. All 9 patients with complications recovered fully. 1-year weight loss data was available in 91 patients; mean percent excess weight lost (%EWL) at 1 year was 45.4% (+/-17.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LAGB has become an appropriate outpatient procedure in select patients.
authors.affiliation: Northwest Weight Loss Surgery, Kirkland, WA 98034, USA. DrWatkins@NWWLS.com
authors.forename: Brad M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: Kevin F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Jessie H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ahroni
authors.forename: Marc D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Erlitz
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Scurlock
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome