title: Long-term results of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in patients lost to follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to evaluate the results of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) in patients lost to follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients lost to follow-up were identified from a consecutive cohort of 495 patients who underwent LAGB between November 1995 and September 2006. These patients were asked to return to follow-up and their actual weight was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 93 patients lost to follow-up, 73 were motivated to reattend. Of these, 60 per cent (44 patients) had lost less than 25 per cent of excess weight, compared with 16.3 per cent (P < 0.001), 27.0 per cent (P < 0.001) and 42 per cent (P = 0.026) of patients after 2, 4 and 8 years of regular follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients lost to follow-up are more likely to have poor weight loss, emphasizing the importance of follow-up after LAGB. Outcome after surgery for morbid obesity should include patients lost to follow-up as a measure of overall success.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, St Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands. W.W.teRiele@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: te Riele
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boerma
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wiezer
authors.forename: I H M
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Borel Rinkes
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Ramshorst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult