Eating pattern in the first year following adjustable silicone gastric banding (ASGB) for morbid obesity

To analyse the relationships between eating pattern, vomiting frequency, weight loss and the rate of band related complications in morbidly obese patients undergoing Adjustable Silicone Gastric Banding (ASGB).

80 morbidly obese patients (57 females and 23 males) consecutively operated by ASGB were evaluated both before and 3, 6 and 12 months after ASGB. Ten patients (12.5%) had binge eating disorder and were analysed separately.

(1) weight loss expressed as percentage of overweight, (2) total daily energy intake, (3) percentage of energy as lipids, carbohydrates and proteins, (4) percent as liquid, soft or solid foods and (5) vomiting frequency.

ASGB induced a highly significant reduction of total daily energy intake and percent as solid foods, without significant changes in macronutrient distribution. There was an inverse relationship between vomiting frequency and the intake of solid foods. Non-binge eaters with more vomiting ate less solid food and lost more weight than patients without vomiting. The frequency of neostoma stenosis was higher in patients with high vomiting frequency than in patients with no vomiting. Patients with binge eating disorder had a significantly higher vomiting frequency and a five-fold higher frequency of neostoma stenosis than patients without binge eating disorder. However, the percentage of overweight lost did not differ between patients with and without binge eating.

Vomiting is a major determinant of global outcome after ASGB. The vomiting frequency in the first months after ASGB was associated with eating pattern, the frequency of neostoma stenosis and possibly the rate of weight loss during the first year of follow-up.