Published in:
01-08-2007 | SAGES 2006 Oral/Original Article
Laparoscopic revision from LAP-BAND® to gastric bypass
Published in: Surgical Endoscopy | Issue 8/2007
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Background
While the majority of patients achieve good outcomes with the LAP-BAND®, there is a subset of patients who experience complications or fail to lose sufficient weight after the banding procedure. This study examines the feasibility and outcome of performing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) as a single-step revision surgery after a failed LAP-BAND procedure.
Methods
In the past five years we have performed more than 1400 LAP-BAND procedures. We laparoscopically converted 33 (30 females) of these patients (mean age = 43.8 years) from LAP-BAND to RYGBP because of inadequate weight loss and/or complications. Key steps in the revision procedures were (1) identification and release of the band capsule; (2) careful dissection of the gastrogastric sutures; (3) creation of a small gastric pouch; and (4) Roux-en-Y anterior colic anterior gastric pouch-jejunum anastomosis. Revisions took place at a mean 28.2 months (range = 11–46; SD = 11.3) after the original gastric banding. Change in body mass index (BMI) between pre- and postrevision was evaluated with paired t tests.
Results
Among the 33 patients who would undergo revision surgery, the mean BMI before the LAP-BAND procedure was 45.7 kg/m2 (range = 39.9–53.0; SD = 3.4) and the mean weight was 126 kg (range = 99–155; SD = 17). The lowest BMI achieved by this group with the LAP-BAND before revision was 39.7 kg/m2 (range = 30–49.2; SD = 4.9); however, the mean BMI at the time of revision was 42.8 kg/m2 (range = 33.1–50; SD = 4.8). The mean revision operative time was 105 min (range = 85–175), and the mean hospital stay was 2.8 days (range = 1–10). Complications included one patient who underwent open reoperation and splenectomy for a bleeding spleen and one patient who required repair of an internal hernia. After conversion to RYGBP, mean BMI decreased to 33.9 kg/m2 at 6 months (p < 0.001) and 30.7 kg/m2 (range = 22–39.6; SD = 5.3) at 12 months or more of followup (average = 15.7 months; p < 0.0001).
Conclusions
Laparoscopic conversion from LAP-BAND to RYGBP is safe and can be an alternative for patients who failed the LAP-BAND procedure. However, revision surgery is technically challenging and should be performed only by surgeons who have completed the learning curve for laparoscopic RYGBP.