Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding with truncal vagotomy: any increased weight loss?

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) causes weight loss primarily through a mechanical restrictive mechanism. The vagus nerve provides connections between the brain and the gut through afferent and hormonal signals that regulate fullness and satiety. Published studies demonstrate clinically significant weight loss by subjects undergoing open surgical truncal vagotomy for ulcer disease and morbid obesity. This study aimed primarily to evaluate the safety and efficacy of adding truncal vagotomy to LAGB and to compare the weight loss with that of LAGB alone.

This open-label case-controlled study was conducted at Central Carolina Surgery, PA, a private bariatric surgery practice in Greensboro, North Carolina. Since May 2006, 49 subjects with classes 2 and 3 obesity have undergone LAGB with truncal vagotomy. The anterior and posterior nerves were divided and resected just below the diaphragm and sent to pathology. The primary safety variable was the number of procedure-related adverse events. The primary efficacy variable was the percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL). Completeness of vagotomy was assessed by direct inspection, microscopic confirmation, and endoscopic Congo red testing after intravenous Baclofen stimulation. For the ongoing comparison, 49 cohorts were matched for age, sex, and preoperative body mass index (BMI).

At enrollment, the average BMI was 45 kg/m², and the average age was 46 years. No intraoperative or unanticipated adverse events occurred. All the subjects were discharged in 24 h less. One case of incomplete vagotomy was confirmed via pathologic evaluation. The LAGB plus vagotomy group had an average EWL of 38% at an mean of 34 months after surgery, and the cohort group had an average EWL of 36% at a mean of 36 months after surgery. All the vagotomy patients reported an absence of hunger. No diarrhea, no significant gastric outlet obstruction, and no dumping were seen.

The study data do not support the hypothesis that vagotomy added to LAGB enhances weight loss.