title: The contribution of gastric emptying scintigraphy to the treatment of obesity with gastric bandage--preliminary results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastric banding for morbid obesity is among the least mutilating of procedures used in bariatric surgery and is classified as a restrictive surgical method. Although it is widespread, so far, however the mechanism responsible has not been fully explained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors present the preliminary results from scintigraphic examination of the evacuation ability of the stomach using food labeled with (99m)Tc-colloid in six obese patients with a gastric bandage. This initial study showed that the functionality of the bandage demonstrated as a significant drop in body weight, is connected with slower evacuation of the stomach. However, the use of adjustable bandages would have significantly slowed and restricted the passage of food through the cardia of the stomach.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since it can be extremely difficult to adequately objectively determine the functionality of gastric bandages, evaluating the gastric emptying scintigraphy may be useful in fulfilling this purpose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. hladik.pav@gmail.com
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hladik
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vizda
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mala
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zadak
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hroch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D015391:Gastroplasty; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013270:Stomach / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015431:Weight Loss