title: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy as a single-stage bariatric procedure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is increasingly being used as a stand-alone procedure in bariatric surgery, with medium-term follow-up data now emerging. We present our early experience in patients with a mean body mass index (BMI) in the super-obese range.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of prospectively collected data for the first 100 patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at Counties Manukau District Health Board between March 2007 and July 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred patients were identified, with a mean age of 43 years (range, 20-60 years). Maori and Pacific Islanders made up 31% of the patient subset. Patients had a mean BMI of 50.3 kg/m(2) (range, 34.5-72.8 kg/m(2)). Forty-five patients were super-obese. The median hospital stay was 2 days (range, 1-7 days). Mean follow-up was 12.0 months (range, 0.9-23.3 months). Mean excess weight loss was 62.9% (range, 7.2-129.0%). Twenty-five percent of patients were diabetic and 45% of patients were hypertensive pre-operatively. Diabetics and hypertension resolved or improved in 72% and 60% of patients, respectively. There was a major complication rate of 7%, including three staple-line leaks (one requiring laparotomy), two staple-line bleeds (one requiring laparotomy) and one infected haematoma. There were no deaths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this public hospital setting, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has achieved satisfactory weight loss results with an acceptable complication rate in the medium-term.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, South Auckland Clinical School, Middlemore Hospital, Private Bag, 93311, Otahuhu, Auckland, New Zealand. sammour@middlemore.co.nz
authors.forename: Tarik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sammour
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Parry
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Anudini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ranasinghe
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Babor
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult