Gastric banding weight loss surgery only helps one-fifth of patients maintain 50% loss

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Tuesday, June 13, 2006 9:27 am Email this article

Gastric banding weight loss surgery, known as Lap-Band in the U.S., has become more successful than it was when it was first introduced according to review paper on obesity surgery by Dan Eisenberg and others from the Yale School of Medicine.

<!-- PAGINATE: PREVIOUS PAGE/NEXT PAGE -->Early Results

Early results disappointing: 36% of excess weight after three years

At first, the average weight loss after three years was only 36 percent of excess weight.

Later studies found the average weight loss after one year to be 42 percent of excess weight.

Recent Results

Recent results more promising: 50% of excess weight after one year, 61% after two years, 65% after three years

More recent studies found the average weight loss was 50 percent of excess weight after one year, 61 percent after two years and 65 percent after three years.

Complications

Complications in 9-20%

Complications occur in 9 to 20 pecent of patients.

Re-operation

Re-operation in 1-13%

Re-operation is necessary in 1 to 13 percent depending on who does the surgery.

Comment: This suggests that if you plan on having this procedure, ask them how often reoperations are necessary. If it were me and the doctor I was considering to do the procedure did not have a re-operation rate of 5 percent or less, I would look for another doctor to do the procedure.

First Mentioned

Gastric banding first mentioned in 1986

Gastric banding was first described in the medical literature in 1986 according to Eisenberg.

REFERENCE

Eisenberg D, Duffy A, Bell R. Update on obesity surgery. World J Gastroenterol. 2006 May 28, 12(20):3196-203.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Robert Bell

Department of Surgery

Yale University School of Medicine

40 Temple St. Suite 3A

New Haven, CT 06510, United States

robert.bell@yale.edu .

I guess no one was interested.

Thank you for posting the article. It's nice to know that as more studies are done we're actually seeing MORE positive outcomes for those who opted for banding.

I don't understand your title. "Gastric banding weight loss surgery only helps one-fifth of patients maintain 50% loss" sounds terrible, and that's not what the summary of the article says. Why did you phrase it that way?

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WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY

Gastric banding weight loss surgery only helps one-fifth of patients maintain 50% loss

Gastric banding weight loss surgery, known as Lap-Band in the U.S., has become more successful than it was when it was first introduced according to review paper on obesity surgery by Dan Eisenberg and others from the Yale School of Medicine.

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By Larry Hobbs on Tue, Jun 13, 2006 9:27 am | [0] comments

The title of this article does not make any sense. There is no reference in the article to "only one fifth of patients maintaining a 50% loss". There is however a reference to average loss being 65% of excess weight after three years, which is an excellent result.

We can e-mail the author to tell him that. He may not have titled the article himself, and it is wildly misleading.

Absolutely! I had NOTHING to do with it.

Thank you!

His name is Larry Hobbs @ fatnews.com

Is the complication rate really 9-20%??? That seems awful high and scares me. I thought it was 1-3%...Is that not the case?? I have only been banded a bit over 3 months and I really don't want to lose my band. 20% seems so high...

~Liz~

banded 03/10/06

Dr.Ortiz

241/196/150

5'7''

Is the complication rate really 9-20%??? That seems awful high and scares me. I thought it was 1-3%...Is that not the case?? I have only been banded a bit over 3 months and I really don't want to lose my band. 20% seems so high...

I wonder what complications they include, some are serious and would cause a band removal, some are simple to fix and not that serious.

For example, hubby got adjusted too tight and was vomiting almost every meal. He went in, they unfilled him to let his espogus heal, and then re-filled him and he's fine now. That might count towards that 20%.

Lisa's right. For studies like this they include ALL sorts of complications. I know I'd be counted in that 20% too, even though I think I've had a very smooth ride.

BTW, I contacted the author of the article and he wrote back, thanking me for bringing the error to his attention. The title is being fixed.

It has been fixed...he just wrote me.

I guess no one was interested.

No, no, no.

I found it absolutely fascinating...

If studies show a 65% of excess weight loss after the 3-yr mark, maybe I won't be considered a Remedial Bandster when it's all said and done.

Happy Band (And Life) Journeys To All...

thanks for sharing. very interesting. it matches fairly well what education i received from the clinic that i went through. they must have good updated information.