Stomach banding surgery effective for adolescents: NYU Study

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) aka Lap band surgery appears to be an effective procedure to combat obesity in adolescents, according to a new study conducted at NYU Medical Center. It is the first study to evaluate the lap band in patients under the age of 17, and it revealed that patients on average lost about 50% of their excess weight by one year after surgery. Currently, the lap band device is only approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in adults. [J  Pediatr Surg. 42:137-142 (Jan 2007)]

NYU Medical Center is one of three sites currently approved by the FDA to study the efficacy of the gastric band in adolescent patients.

Lap band surgery was performed on 53 morbidly obese adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17, according to the study. Most of the patients were girls. People are considered morbidly obese when their body mass index is at 40 or above, usually about 100 pounds overweight.

Conclusion of the study showed: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is not only a safe operation for morbidly obese pediatric patients, but also represents an effective treatment strategy with a %EWL (excess weight loss) of approximately 50% at both 1 year and 18 months of follow-up. Because of the minimal morbidity and complete absence of mortality of the LAGB, it is the optimal surgical option for pediatric patients with morbid obesity.

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