Under and over 50: exploring long-term weight-loss outcomes following laparoscopic adjustable gastric band by age and body mass index group.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) surgery is used to enable individuals to lose weight. However, the long-term weight loss outcomes for individuals with a body mass index (BMI)≥50 kg/m(2) and/or age≥50 years at time of banding remains debated. To date, data reported is largely from populations outside the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVES: To explore long-term weight loss outcomes based on individuals' pre-LAGB age and BMI.

SETTING: Data were collected from individuals in the United Kingdom attending a national health service weight loss surgery service.

METHOD: Data pertaining to weight were collected in a prospective 5-year study in the United Kingdom. Individuals were grouped according to preoperative age and BMI before analysis.

RESULTS: Data from 53 individuals were analyzed. Individuals age≤49 years weighed 142.7±17.4 kg preoperatively, whereas individuals age≥50 years weighed 137.6±19.4 kg. Over the 5 years post-LAGB, significant weight loss was achieved by the whole sample. Additionally, there was an interaction between weight loss and age/BMI group. The sample had a significant percent total weight loss and percent excess weight loss between 6 months and 5 years post-LAGB. However, only individuals age≥50 years with a BMI≥50 kg/m(2) preoperatively had continual weight loss over the 5 years.

CONCLUSION: Individuals lost weight following LAGB; however, only individuals with a BMI≥50 kg/m(2) and age≥50 years before banding appeared to continue to lose weight as time since banding increased, compared with the other groups.