[Twenty years of experience with bariatric surgery in a general hospital].
BACKGROUND
Bariatric surgery has been performed since 1983 at the Bad Cannstatt Hospital near Stuttgart, Germany. The aim of this study was to investigate the development of bariatric surgery during the past 25 years.


METHODS
Data were collected retrospectively. The parameters were number of surgical procedures, hospital stay, and postoperative complications.


RESULTS
In the 25-year period 1,041 primary bariatric operations were performed. Open horizontal bypass and open vertical banded gastroplasty were performed initially. Starting in 2003 there was a change to laparoscopic procedures (gastric banding and Roux-en-Y bypass). The mean hospital stays were 14.7+/-5.1 days for open procedures and 6.7+/-4.2 days for laparoscopic methods, with 30-day mortalities of 0.8% and 0.0% and short-term complications at 16.9% and 7.8%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Perioperative complications and hospital stay were reduced by performing laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Our study emphasizes the advantages of the laparoscopic procedures which are standard at our hospital and fit in with the remaining operations in a department of visceral surgery.
Gärtner
D
D
Klinik für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie, Krankenhaus Bad Cannstatt, Klinikum Stuttgart, Priessnitzweg 24, 70374 Stuttgart, Deutschland.
Guhl
M
M
Münz
K
K
Hornung
A
A
Hinderer
J
J
Kieninger
G
G
Hesse
U
U
D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000379:methods; D005858:Germany; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007813:Laparotomy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors