Forty-five percent had their bands removed, and 17% were switched to laparoscopic Roux-en Y gastric bypass.
From Medscape Medical News
Gastric Banding Has Poor Long-Term Outcomes
March 21, 2011 — Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), an obesity treatment gaining wider acceptance, appears to produce “relatively poor long-term outcomes,” according to a study of 151 patients published online today in the Archives of Surgery.
Nearly 30% of patients in the study experienced band erosion, nearly half needed to have their band removed, and 60% overall required some kind of reoperation.
The study in the Archives of Surgery looked at 151 patients who underwent LAGB in Belgium between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 1997. Eighty-two of the patients were available for a full evaluation in late 2009. Of these, 3 had died of causes unrelated to the procedure.
Of the 82 patients evaluated, 22% experienced minor complications, and 39% major ones. Forty-five percent had their bands removed, and 17% were switched to laparoscopic Roux-en Y gastric bypass.
