Mason gastric bypass. Long-term follow-up and comparison with other gastric procedures.

The Mason gastric bypass as performed over 8 years on 171 patients for the treatment of massive exogenous obesity. The first 26 patients had a large pouch constructed, and poor long-term weight loss occurred. In the last 6 years, 145 patients had a smaller pouch with a 5.5 percent immediate postoperative complications rate. One early death resulted. Late complications and revisions were few. In the last 145 patients there were only 9 who did not maintain a weight loss of greater than 25 percent of their total weight. This group of 145 patients have lost an average of 42 percent of their total weight (121 pounds) and 72 percent of their excess weight. The stapled Alden gastric bypass and horizontal gastroplasties, when compared with the Mason gastric bypass, have similar complications with the potential for poor weight loss after long-term follow-up due to channel enlargement or staple-line leakage. The Mason gastric bypass is an excellent surgical method of weight loss.