Gastric banding, a surgical method of treating morbid obesity: preliminary report.

Gross overweight in 15 patients was treated by a new method called gastric banding. The operative procedure is described. The technique is simpler than other procedures such as gastric bypass and gastroplasty. Gastric banding involves no opening of the gastrointestinal tract, which helps to minimize operative risk and complication rate. Operation resulted in an average weight loss of 36.5 kg (29.5 per cent) over six months, and is considered highly effective. Each patient was submitted, postoperatively, to a thorough check-up which included clinical examination, X-ray, gastroscopy and an extensive battery of laboratory tests. The fact that the artificial stoma and the gastric mucosa of upper and lower compartments can be inspected on gastroscopy is an added advantage. The series seems to indicate that gastric banding is a promising surgical method of treating extreme overweight.