title: Effectiveness of the Transoral Endoscopic Vertical Gastroplasty (TOGa®): a good balance between weight loss and complications, if compared with gastric bypass and biliopancreatic diversion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effectiveness of restrictive procedures has been inferior to that of malabsorbitive ones. Recent variants of restrictive procedures, i.e., gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy, confirm the strive for more efficacious solutions with less complications. We investigated the balance between effectiveness and complications for a new restrictive procedure, a Transoral Endoscopic Vertical Gastroplasty (TOGa®)
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-nine morbidly obese patients were submitted to one out of three surgical procedures: TOGa® (29 patients), laparoscopic gastric bypass (LRYGBP; 20 patients), and biliopancreatic diversion (BPD; 30 patients). Mean BMI were 41.7 (35.4-46.6), 44.8 (36.4-54), and 47.5 (41-60.3), respectively. All the patients reached a 2-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In TOGa® group BMI, respectively at 12 and 24 months, was 34.5 and 35.5, with 44 and 48.3% of patients with BMI lower than 35. In LRYGBP group, BMI was 30.7 and 29.2 kg/m(2), with 80 and 85% of patients with BMI < 35. In BPD group, BMI was 30 and 29.6 kg/m(2), with 100 and 93.3% of patients with BMI < 35. In TOGa® group, 59% of patients with an initial BMI < 45 reached a BMI < 35, in comparison to 48% recorded in the whole group and to 14.3% in patients with initial BMI ≥ 45.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In selected patients, TOGa®, was associated with good results after two years in terms of weight loss, even in comparison with LRYGBP and BPD. Minimal trauma, absence of complications, and short hospital stay justify this procedure for patients with low BMI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. giu.nanni@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nanni
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Familiari
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.forename: Amerigo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iaconelli
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perri
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rubino
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boldrini
authors.forename: Maria Paola
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leccesi
authors.forename: Samuele
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iesari
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sollazzi
authors.forename: Valter
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perilli
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castagneto
authors.forename: Gertrude
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mingrone
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costamagna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015904:Biliopancreatic Diversion; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015391:Gastroplasty; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss