(26-04-11) Obesity Surgery Even Worse than Previously Thought

A study has found that nearly half of a group of patients who received
gastric band surgery for weight loss over ten years ago had the bands removed
because of medical complications.

The study is the first to track laparoscopic gastric band surgery outcomes
over a long period. The bands eroded in almost a third of the patients, and
sixty percent went on to undergo additional weight loss surgery in spite of the
bands.

According to the New York Times:

"Researchers concluded that the adjustable gastric band surgery, which is
growing in popularity in the United States, 'appears to result in relatively
poor long-term outcomes.' The results 'are worse than we expected,' said Dr.
Jacques Himpens ... lead author of the new study."

Furthermore, significant bone loss has been shown to occur in teens receiving
gastric bypass surgery, the same result that occurs in adults receiving this
more invasive type of stomach surgery. Researchers took bone density
measurements every three months for two years after the teen's surgeries and
according to USA Today found that:

"Two years after the surgery, the bone mineral content of the 61 obese teens
studied had declined, on average, by 7.4 percent."

Sources:
New York Times March 24, 2011
Archives of Surgery
USA Today April, 2011
Pediatrics March 28, 2011

News

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In evidenza

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Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.