Swedish adjustable gastric banding: a preliminary experience

The authors have been performing bariatric surgery for 15 years; since February 1992 they have carried out laparoscopic gastric banding (LGB) with a silastic band. Good experience with the LGB combined with everyday laparoscopic activity in their institution persuaded them to try laparoscopic placement of the Swedish adjustable gastric band (SAGB).

The surgical procedure is the same as that for laparoscopic gastric banding except for the use of a 15 mm trocar that is required to introduce the band, and the need to place a port that is connected to the band via a wide loop tube; the port is place subcutaneously and is supported by the lower part of the sternum. The authors do not use any abdominal drain nor a naso-gastric tube. At surgery the band is left empty, and filling is usually not started until 4 weeks after surgery. The patient is immediately mobilized and begins a liquid diet the evening after the operation. The patients are usually discharged from hospital on the first postoperative day.

Over 8 months, 24 patients underwent SAGB, with mean BMI 44.69 and mean operating time 45 minutes (range 30-75). No early complications occurred. Preliminary results in this small series show BMIs of 38.65 and 34.60 at 3 and 6 months postoperation.

SAGB appears for be a good method for obesity surgery. It is easy to perform and is associated with a low operative risk. Provided that the band is put in the right place, weight loss can be adjusted to patient comfort.