title: Long-term results of a prospective study on laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding for morbid obesity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to study the long-term outcome of adjustable gastric banding in the treatment of morbid obesity. In Europe, the preference for gastric band has declined in favor of Roux-Y-gastric bypass.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a follow-up of a prospective study on a large cohort of patients after laparoscopic gastric banding (LAGB) for morbid obesity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete data were collected on 656 patients (88%) from a cohort of 745 patients. After a median follow-up of 95 months (range 60-155), the mean BMI dropped from 41.0 ± 7.3 to 33.2 ± 7.1 kg/m², with a 46.2 ± 36.5% excess weight loss (EWL). A more than 50% EWL was achieved in 44% of patients. The band was still in place in 77.1% of patients; conversion to gastric bypass after band removal was carried out in 98 (14.9%) patients, while a simple removal was done in only 52 (7.9%) patients. Band removal was more likely in women and patients with a higher BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After LAGB, band removal was necessary for complications or insufficient weight loss in 24% of patients. Nearly half of the patients achieved a more than 50% EWL, but in 88%, a more than 10% EWL was observed. LAGB can achieve an acceptable weight loss in some patients, but the failure in one out of four patients does not allow proposing it as a first-line option for the treatment of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. yves.van.nieuwenhove@ugent.be
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Van Nieuwenhove
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ceelen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stockman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vanommeslaeghe
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Snoeck
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Renterghem
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van de Putte
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pattyn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss