[10 years experience with vertical banded gastroplasty for operative therapy of morbid obesity]

Since 1985 vertical banded gastroplasty has been performed in a consecutive series of 300 morbid obese patients. Two years after operation the average weight loss was 46 kg or 67% of the initial overweight. There was one postoperative and one late death. The reintervention rate was 2% per year for the first 5 years. In the treatment of morbid obesity vertical banded gastroplasty is an effective procedure, rapid and simple to perform and without irreversible changes of the digestive tract.