title: Treatment of band erosion: feasibility and safety of endoscopic band removal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Band erosion is reported with a highly variable incidence (0.3-14%) after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Removal of the band is mandatory because the patient regains weight and may become symptomatic, but no consensus exists about the best method, surgical or endoscopic, for this purpose. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of endoscopic management of band erosion.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 23 patients were treated for band erosion after gastric banding: 8 from the authors' series of 951 patients (incidence, 0.84%) and 15 referred to the authors' surgical department from other hospitals. The endoscopic method of band removal was used in 20 cases. Because of complications associated with erosion, three patients were submitted instead to laparoscopic removal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Endoscopic removal of the band was successful for 16 of 20 patients. Four cases required conversion of the procedure to surgery: in one case due to complications with the endoscopic cutting wire and in the three remaining cases due to dense perigastric adhesions blocking the band. The follow-up evaluation of the patients who had the endoscopic removal was uneventful, with quick discharge at resumption of oral feeding. The patients who underwent laparoscopic removal had a longer hospital stay, and one patient had a leak from the anterior gastrotomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite a few complications, endoscopic removal seems to be the procedure of choice for the treatment of band erosion. It allows quick resumption of oral feeding and rapid discharge of patients and appears to be safer and more effective than laparoscopic removal. Conversion to surgery is unlikely but possible. Therefore, the authors always recommend that the procedure be performed in the operating room.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. enrico.mozzi@unimi.it
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mozzi
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lattuada
authors.forename: Marco Antonio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zappa
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Granelli
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Ruberto
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Armocida
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roviaro
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D020878:Device Removal / Q000379:methods*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000379:methods*; D005773:Gastroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*