Background

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is an effective method of weight loss therapy in adolescents with obesity. A total of 119 patients consented to a long-term follow-up for outcomes after their weight loss surgery. Over ten years, 110 (m=36, f=74) of the initially recruited patients had LAGB procedures. Mean age, weight, and BMI at the time of surgery were 16.1± 1.01 years, 298.8± 57.7 lbs., and 47.6±6.8 kg/m2, respectively. Reoperation was required in 24.6 % of patients, after an average of 7.8±3.6 years after LAGB surgery. Out of these 27 patients, 10 underwent Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, 7 underwent Sleeve gastrectomy, 4 band replacement or revision, and 6 had band removals alone. Total weight loss after 5 years was 22.1%, with a 22.7% reduction in BMI. Patients who followed up for a 9-year time point (n=30) maintained 19.1% TWL and a 19.3% reduction in BMI. LAGB can offer long-term weight loss or a first-stage treatment option in adolescents with obesity, who may need a secondary intervention as an adult. LAGB confers the benefits of reversibility and revisability in a population which needs life-long treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00587301