Weight control after vertical banded gastroplasty for morbid obesity.

Vertical banded gastroplasty is a common method of treating morbid obesity. Several physical, behavioral, economic, and psychologic factors are believed to affect its efficacy. In this study, 100 consecutive patients received a 4.5-cm circumference band, while a second 100 consecutive patients were given a 5.0-cm circumference band. One year after surgery, with a follow-up of 97.5%, neither the patient's stoma size nor their preoperative occupation, economic status, or mental health significantly affected the patient's weight loss, which averaged 27% of their original weight. Postoperative eating behavior, however, dramatically affected weight loss. Among the patients who lost less than 20% of their original weight, 25% drank large volumes of caloried liquids, while 75% ate large amounts of soft foods. Patients with banded gastroplasties must "use" their operation to lose weight.