Laparoscopic Gastric Banding: Game Over?

The laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) procedure has been used in bariatric surgery for over 20 years, and despite its initial success, it has been most often criticized for causing adverse effects, lacking efficacy, and frequently requiring revision. Evidence-based medicine supports these criticisms, and the LAGB is no longer considered by most bariatric surgeons worldwide to be a standard operation. While we have to admit that its associated food tolerance issues and variable efficacy make the LAGB less desirable for most patients, time will tell whether the current armamentarium of bariatric procedures are still too aggressive and new safer procedures still need to be developed.