A pilot study of long-term effects of a novel obesity treatment: omentectomy in connection with adjustable gastric banding

Abstract

AIM: To determine whether visceral fat reduction in connection with bariatric surgery could improve weight loss and metabolic profile of obese subjects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a one-center, randomized and controlled pilot trial we assigned 50 subjects with severe obesity (body mass index >35 kg/m²) to either adjustable gastric banding (AGB) alone (11 men and 14 women), or AGB plus surgical removal of the total greater omentum (11 men and 14 women). The patients were followed at regular intervals for 2 y and examined at 0 and 24 months with respect to body composition and metabolic profile. RESULTS: No significant differences between control and omentectomized patients were observed at baseline. The removed greater omentum constituted 0.8±0.4% (mean±s.d.) of total body fat. At 2 y follow-up there was an expected decrease in body weight and an improvement in metabolic profile in both groups. Although omentectomized subjects tended to lose more weight than control subjects the difference was not statistically significant and changes in waist-to-hip ratio and saggital diameter did not differ between groups. However, the improvements in oral glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and fasting plasma glucose and insulin were 2–3 times greater in omentectomized as compared to control subjects (P from 0.009 to 0.04), which was statistically independent of the loss in body mass index. No differences in blood lipids between the groups were recorded. No adverse effects related to omentectomy were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Omentectomy, when performed together with AGB, has significant positive and long-term effects on the glucose and insulin metabolic profiles in obese subjects.