Reexploration Following Vertical Banded Gastroplasty: Technical Observations, and Co-morbidity from Dentition,...

This is a retrospective review of 260 consecutive patients, of one surgeon, operated on for morbid obesity. There were 245 primary, and 15 referred secondary, patients. For primary cases, there was a 0.8% (2/245) mortality, and 4.4% (11/245) emergency reexploration rate. Of these 2.5% (6/245) were at < 30 days (all < 5 days) and 1.6% (41245) > 30 days (all > 2 years). Ten (4.1 %) were electively reexplored because of vertical partition staple-line disruptions. Of the three staplers used, we show one (USS Corp. TA 90B) has demonstrably fewer disruptions. Identifiable causes of long-term morbidity include cigarette smoking in young females (2/245), a full set of upper dentures (2/245) and preexisting esophageal dysmotility (1/245).