In our experience, the gastric balloon can improve the conditions for laparoscopic surgery in super and in super, super obese patients. There was no conversion to open surgery. The effect of weight loss is much less than immediately after LAGB. However, after failure of all conservative treatments to reduce the preoperative body weight, the GBT seems to be the last possibility.

The placement of a LAP-BAND adjustable gastric banding system by the EGP technique is safe and results in a lower frequency of postoperative complications than its placement by the RGP technique. Clear anatomic landmarks are a benefit to education and to the learning curve for LASGB.

Introduction: Colorectal carcinomas exhibit a frequent recurrence after curative

Morbid obesity is a serious disease that is responsible for several comorbid conditions. Body mass indices > 40 require surgical procedures if diet programs fail. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), a more recently introduced gastric restrictive procedure, was designed to be a minimally invasive and reversible operation. 184 patients (164 women, 20 men) with a mean body mass index of 47.8 kg/m2 (range 36-79) were operated on. All patients had been excessively overweight for > 5 years. Each patient was given general anesthesia, and an adjustable LAP-BAND was implanted laparoscopically. The pouch size was 15 ml in all cases; and 3-4 sutures were placed to prevent dislocation. The conversion rate was 0%. The median operating time was 65 min (range 45-190). The mortality was 0%. The mean hospital stay was 5 days (range 4-6). The mean excess weight loss was 16% in 4 weeks, 23% in 3 months, 31% in 6 months, 58% in 1 year, and 87% in 2 years. The patient satisfaction index was 97.6%. Once a surgeon has acquired the necessary laparoscopic surgical experience, LAGB is a feasible, safe, and simple procedure with excellent postoperative results. LAGB does not permanently modify the anatomy of the stomach and maintains the natural continuity of the alimentary tract, while at the same time ensuring a steady weight reduction in morbidly obese patients. The fact that the gastric band can be applied laparoscopically is a significant advantage in this group of high-risk patients, who have less pain, faster postoperative recovery, more rapid return to normal activities, fewer wound infections, fewer hernia problems, and better cosmetic results. The rate of postoperative complications is approximately 9%. In 1.1% of patients, erosion occurred, and in 2.2%, slippage of the band. The rate of port-related complications was 3.2%. Reoperations were necessary in 6.4% of the patients.

Laparoscopic gastric banding has become a common procedure in bariatric surgery. Early as well as late complications are, in comparison to conventional techniques, rare. Complications arising from the operative technique are: perforation, early pouch dilatation, gastric slippage, infections of the port and the band, erosion and defects of the band tube. Insufficient weight loss and late pouch dilatation arise from unsatisfactory compliance on the part of the patient. In 7.5% of 146 cases, reoperations were necessary. Obstruction of the pouch stoma and a slippage resulted in total food intolerance. After radiologic diagnosis the band system should be deflated first and a naso-gastric tube applied. If this does not result in the pouch collapsing, a revision operation is needed.