Background: Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) may not have the best weight loss profile at long-term follow-up. Many authors extrapolated the idea of applying bands from Roux-en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) literature to LSG to enhance weight loss. Although the earlier reports seem encouraging, most of these studies were retrospective and underpowered.
Objectives: To compare between body mass indexes (BMI) differences over 3 years between banded LSG (BLSG) and non-Banded LSG (NLSG). We also aimed to compare the emergence/worsening of reflux symptoms.
Patients and methods: This was a prospective, single-center non-randomized clinical trial of 100 patients (N=100) undergoing either BLSG or NLSG. Average age was 36.84 ± 8.91 years, 59 patients (59%) were females. Patients were followed at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36 months to evaluate changes in BMI. Study outcomes included change in BMI between 3rd and 36th months, emergence/worsening of reflux symptoms and remission of comorbidities.
Results: Mean difference in BMI between the first follow-up interval (3 months) and the last interval (36 months) was 13.56±1.93 in BLSG and 10.82±0.39 in NLSG (p < 0.001). Weight regain occurred at 36 months in NLSG but not in BLSG. Mean operative time was 45.64±3.41 mins in BLSG and 40.64±4.6 in NLSG (p < 0.0001). Remission of morbidities and worsening/emergence of de novo reflux symptoms was similar in both groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusions: BLSG may have favorable outcomes than NLSG, this effect persisted without weight regain.