At Surgical Specialists of Louisiana and Mississippi, we specialize in a wide range of weight loss procedures. Adjustable gastric banding, (often referred to as Lap-Band) is another excellent tool to help patients lose weight. Research has shown that on average, patients lose 45 to 55% of their excess body weight. Lap-Band surgery has been performed worldwide for nearly 20 years, with a continuous evolution of surgical technique and the device itself. Now, a new study has provided evidence that adjustable gastric banding is both safe and effective in the long-term, based on more than 15 years of data. The study from Australia is the longest and most comprehensive Lap Band follow-up study yet reported.
Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne analyzed the results in 3,227 patients who had gastric banding between 1994 and 2011. Of those patients, 714 had surgery at least 10 years ago and, on average, had maintained a weight loss of about 57 pounds, or almost half of their excess weight. The weight loss results were similar for the 54 patients in the study who had Lap-Band at least 15 years ago. There were no deaths associated with the surgery or with any later operations that were needed in about half of the patients. About one in 20 patients had the band removed during the study period. The findings highlight how gastric banding technique has improved over the years: there was a marked reduction of revisional procedures with the introduction of the new version of the Lap-Band 6 years ago. Also, those who had revisional surgery lost as much weight in the long term as those who did not require further surgery. Dr George Fielding, New York weight loss surgeon and Lap-Band patient himself, said of the study: “the most important part of this study is the demonstration of reduction in need for reoperation over the last few years, due to the change in technique, the use of bigger, softer bands, and awareness of the need to repair hiatal hernias. The study’s results show that the band can be used, very safely, over a long time.”
We are particularly excited to see research being done on the long-term effectiveness of this weight loss tool. To learn more about laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, visit us at www.whyweight.com, attend one of our free seminars, or call us at 877-681-3001.
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