Swedish adjustable gastric band (SAGB) implanted laparoscopically in the treatment of morbid obesity--the first experience in Poland.

Surgical treatment of morbid obesity is a recognized method of proceedings in patients who did not obtain any positive results in conservative therapy. In October and November 1998 laparoscopic implantation of the SAGB was performed among ten morbid obesity patients with mean BMI of 41.9 +/- 3.6 kg/m2. It was the first experience in Poland. In this group we observed also non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in five, hyperlipidemia in eight and hypertension in three patients. In this series, there was no mortality and no perioperative morbidity. The mean operation time was 158 +/- 51 min. The mean hospital stay was four days after the operation. Median BMI reduction after four months was 4.7 +/- 1.6 kg/m2. Parallel to the reduction in body weight, there occurred a significant reduction in plasma concentration of glucose (111.0 +/- 38.5 vs. 90.2 +/- 20.8 p < 0.01), total cholesterol (223.8 +/- 42.0 vs. 192.7 +/- 21.3 p < 0.005), and LDL-cholesterol (140.4 +/- 34.0 vs. 121.7 +/- 25.2 p < 0.01). Hypertension was still observed only in one patient. Nowadays laparoscopic gastric banding represents the least invasive surgical treatment of morbid obesity. In our series laparoscopic implantation of SAGB seems to be an effective surgical method for the treatment of obesity. Substantial reduction in body weight was associated with improvement in metabolic control. Absence of mortality and morbidity is one of the main aims in bariatric surgery which was achieved in our study. The results of the present, first in Poland, preliminary study confirm previous observations that gastric banding is an effective treatment of obesity.