Quality of life following laparoscopic gastric banding in patients with morbid obesity

In a prospective study of 188 patients with morbid obesity the time-depende nt changes in the quality of life of individual patients were analyzed foll owing laparoscopic gastric banding (LGB). These 188 patients (148 females a nd 40 males; age 19 to 59 years; body mass index 3 3 to 72 kg/M-2) underwen t evaluation of die LGB according to a strict protocol that included psycho logical testing using standardized instruments, detailed medical evaluation , upper gastrointestinal function studies, and evaluation of quality of lif e using the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI). Following this evaluation, 73 patients (57 females and 16 males; age 37 years [range 19 to 59 years]; body mass index 48 kg/m(2) [range 37 to 72 kg/m(2)]) underwent LGB and were followed up for 2 years focusing on weight loss, postoperative morbidity, weight-related comorbidity, and quality of life. The results de monstrate that LGB is well able to allow for a significant loss of excess w eight and a significant improvement in patients' quality of life, both afte r a rather short period of time after surgery and at a continuous rate thro ughout the follow-up. The price for this success that was found in approxim ately 90% of patients is a complication rate of 38%; 85 % of these patients , almost one third of all patients, must undergo some type of revision surg ery. However, once the complications are resolved, these patients achieve t he same level of weight loss and improvement in quality of life as patients with an uncomplicated postoperative course.