GASTROPLASTY AS A SURGICAL-TREATMENT OF OBESITY - EXPERIENCE OF OVER 400 OPERATIONS

Morbid obesity is an illness in itself and causes associated pathologi es. Medical and diet treatments being most often ineffective, the surg ical alternative has been considered. This study considers a series of 415 patients operated on, at the Bariatric Surgical Centre at the Hos pital of Huy, Belgium, from 1983 to 1992. The used techniques are the '' Vertical Banded Gastroplasty'' described by MASON and more recently the ''Adjustable Silicone Gastric Banding'' proposed by KUZMAK. With only a small complications' rate, we register 85% of successes in term s of excess weight loss as well as a clear improvement of obesity asso ciated pathologies.