Bariatric Gastric Banding Safer Than Gastric Bypass

A new study has found that laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) results in significantly fewer complications, shorter operative times, and shorter hospital stays when compared with laparoscopic Roux-en Y gastric bypass (LRYGB).

Researchers from the Legacy Good Samaritan Obesity Institute (Portland, OR, USA) researched a prospectively maintained database and included a total of 898 severely obese patients who underwent surgical procedures between October 2000 and October 2005. Of the 898 patients, 492 (55%) underwent LRYGB and 406 (45%) underwent LAGB.

After adjusting for the differences in patient risks of the two groups before surgery, the researchers found that the LAGB procedure was associated with half the rate of potentially life-threatening complications compared to LRYGB. LAGB patients also experienced about two-thirds the overall complication rate of LRYGB patients (24% versus 32%, respectively). LAGB was also associated with approximately half the surgery time and less than half the length of hospital stay when compared to LRYGB. Rates of re-operation were the same for both groups (17%) as well as rates of 90-day deaths (0.2%). Deaths were determined not to be related to either of the surgical procedures, with the exception of one death in the LRYGB group. The study was published in the January-February 2007 issue of Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.

"Given the lack of comparative data available from experienced institutions that frequently perform both laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and laparoscopic Roux-en Y gastric bypass, we believe this study provides important insights for both bariatric surgeons and their patients on the safety of two of the most common surgical treatment options for obesity,” said lead author Emma J. Patterson, M.D., medical director of the Legacy Institute.

All patients undergoing LAGB received the LapBand system, made by Allergan (Irvine, CA, USA; www.lapband.com), which is the only adjustable implant device for individualized weight loss approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).


Related Links:
Legacy Good Samaritan Obesity Institute
Allergan