Band Erosion in Patients Who Have Undergone Vertical Banded Gastroplasty

Abstract

MORBID obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) (obtained by dividing the weight [given in kilograms] by the height [given in meters, squared]) exceeding 40, constitutes a major health risk. Bariatric surgery should be considered for severely obese patients when medical, dietary, or behavioral weight reduction therapies are unsuccessful or when serious comorbidity is present.^1,2 Vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) is an effective and safe restrictive procedure for losing weight and changing dietary habits^3-6; however, technical problems such as staple-line disruption or band erosion (BE) may have a negative effect on the course of these patients,^7,8 by causing either weight gain or excessive weight loss due to vomiting. The actual incidence of BE is unknown, and its surgical solution is often improvised during the reoperation. Furthermore, patients are generally removed from the bariatric program and the weight reduction goal is not achieved.