Health-related quality of life after gastric banding

Bariatric surgery ameliorates obesity-associated diseases, resulting in psychological and social benefits. Long-term studies of its effects on quality of life (QOL) assessed with well established instruments are lacking. This prospective study investigated the long-term effects of gastric banding on health-related QOL using an obesity-specific validated measure.

The Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) questionnaire was completed by 50 severely obese patients before surgery and at 1, 2.5 and 5 years after gastric banding. Ninety-eight subjects with normal weight, matched for age, sex and education, also completed the HRQL questionnaire as controls.

Surgery was successful in all patients. Mean excess weight loss after 1, 2.5 and 5 years was 42.1, 42.2 and 41.6 per cent respectively. General wellbeing, health distress, depression, perceived attractiveness and self-worth improved significantly over the 5 years and, except for general wellbeing, were still improving after 5 years. There were increases in physical activity and work productivity. Successful weight loss was the main determinant of general wellbeing and health distress, and these were adversely affected by band-related complications. In subjects with a body mass index below 30 kg/m(2), scores improved to values for subjects of normal weight.

Bariatric surgery resulted in sustained improvement in health-related QOL even though not all excess weight was lost. Normalization of health-related QOL may necessitate greater weight losses.