Adjustable gastric banding: assessment of safety and efficacy of bolus-filling during follow-up.

Author: Kirchmayr W, Klaus A, Muhlmann G, Mittermair R, Bonatti H, Aigner F, Weiss H

Author affiliation: Department of General and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.

Publication date & source: 2004.03, Obes Surg., 14(3):387-91.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Individual band-filling on demand of the morbidly obese patient is a major advantage of adjustable gastric banding. An increasing number of patients results in an enormous amount of outpatient follow-up visits, which inspired us to compare a stepwise band-filling strategy with a single bolus injection 4 weeks after the operative procedure. METHODS: 40 consecutive patients were prospectively randomized in 2 groups. 20 patients (Group A) had stepwise band-filling during 6 monthly ambulant visits. 20 patients (Group B) had a bolus-filling 4 weeks postoperatively and had the next follow-up after another 5 months. Weight loss, complications and procedural costs during follow-up were compared. RESULTS: Patients of both groups did not differ in age, gender or preoperative BMI.There was no significant difference postoperatively in excess weight lost (EWL) after 9 months. Postoperative complications did not differ significantly.By means of bolus-filling, a 60% and 53% reduction in outpatient clinical work was achieved within the 6 and 9 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Postoperative management after gastric banding takes advantage of a single bolus-filling during the first postoperative 6 months due to sufficient weight loss, low complication rate but significant reduction of personal, financial and logistic efforts.