Initial (1-year) weight loss after gastric banding, gastroplasty or gastric bypass

Inadequate weight loss after gastric stapling operations for extreme obesity was found in an earlier study to be mainly due to dilatation of the outlet from the upper gastric pouch or rupture of the staple line. To avoid such failure we performed gastric banding with a Marlex mesh as originally suggested by Wilkinson. One year after surgery the criterion for acceptable weight loss (Broca's body weight index less than 1.20) was attained significantly more often after gastric banding than after gastric bypass or gastroplasty.