Is there an indication left for gastric band? A single center experience on 178 patients with a follow-up of 10 years

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB) has been widely performed in the past at our university bariatric center. Aim of this study was to retrospectively assess long term outcomes of LAGB at our university hospital, with special regard to non-response (EWL < 25%) and rate of band removal. METHODS: Retrospective search of prospectively maintained database of our university bariatric center was carried out to find all consecutive patients that had undergone LAGB at our department with a minimum follow-up of 10 years. Collected data were sex, age, body mass index (BMI), obesity related diseases remission, complications and weight loss. RESULTS: After 10 years, patients with the band (n = 144) in place had a BMI of 35.2 ± 7.5 kg/m2, while %EWL and % TWL were 40.8 ± 52.4 and 18.9 ± 20.7. Seventy-four (41.6%) achieved a success (%EWL > 50), while 38 (21.3%) were non-responders (%EWL < 25), 32 (18%) had an insufficient weight loss (25 < %EWL < 50) and 34 (19.1%) underwent band removal. Among these, 6 (3.4%) were removed for complications and 28 (15.7%) for insufficient weight loss. Weight regain occurred in 38 out of 144 (26.4%) subjects with the band in place at 10 years. Only one case of early vomiting with readmission for medical treatment was recorded. Slippage, erosion/migration and port/tube complications occurred in 4 (2.2%), 2(1.1%) and 9(5%) cases respectively. CONCLUSION: LAGB is a safe and moderately effective bariatric procedure but it showed disappointing rates of removal, non-response and remission from comorbidities. However, LAGB could still be proposed for selected/motivated patients.