Result and complication of vertical banded gastroplasty in morbid obesity

Introduction: Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) is a method to reduce the stomach volume, which causes weight loss through lowering amount of consuming solid foods. This operation consists of implanting a small pouch in the proximal of the stomach and a tight exit area. This study was made to evaluate the efficacy and complication of VBG in the treatment of morbid obesity Method & Material: The present practical study is prospective clinical experience without control group who was carried out between year 1376 and 1381. Of total 30 patients 21 (70%) females and 9 (30%) male who underwent (VBG) in Baqiyatallah hospital. Results: The averages of age was 32.87  8.12 years, height 168.66 cm, weight 130.70  19.33 Kg and BMI 45.53  10.15 kg/m2. The indication of surgery was BMI > 40 or BMI =35-40 with co-morbid illness. Seventy percent of patients complained from a symptom due to excess weight and co-morbid illness (diabetes, high blood pressure, cardio-pulmonary problems). Duration of hospitalization in the patients in the groups without early complication was 9.7 days and the average follow up was 24 months (range 2-72 months). Weight loss in the first month after surgery was 11.032.48 and after first year was 41.38  10.93. The average decrease in BMI at the end of study was 10.45 kg/m2. 66.7 percent of the patients did not show any post-operative complication. One of the patients had pulmonary emboli (3.3 percent), one wound infection (3.3 percent), one GI bleeding (3.3 percent) and 2 patients had peritonitis (6.6 percent). Regarding delay complication, there was one case of intestine obstruction (3.3 percent) and 6 cases of incisional hernia (20 percent). One of the patients died due to hypovolumic shock (3.3 percent). This study showed that amount of loss of weight following a VBG operation was significant and also, it was found that amount of loss of weight in male was significantly more than female (P=0.020). Conclusion: Among the excess weight associated disease, it was only respiratory problems, which had a significant relationship with post surgery complication (P=0.026). In the meantime, three was no significant relationship between age, weight, sex and BMI with regard to postoperative complication.