Patient characteristics impacting excess weight loss following laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding

Background: Weight loss is more variable after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) than after gastric bypass. Subgroup analysis of patients may offer insight into this variability. The aim of our study was to identify preoperative factors that predict outcome. Methods: Demographics, co-morbid conditions and follow-up weight were collected for our 1st 200 LapBand(R) patients. Linear regression determined average %EWL. Logistic regression analysis identified factors that impacted %EWL. Result: 200 patients returned for 778 follow-up visits. Median age was 44 years (21-72) and median BMI 45 kg/m(2) (31-76). 140 (80%) were women. Average %EWL was y % = 0.007 %/day (days since surgery) + 0.12% (correlation coef. 0.4823; P<0.001). %EWL at I year was 37%. The best-fit logistic regression model found 7 factors that significantly changed the odds of achieving average %EWL. Older patients, diabetic patients and patients with COPD had greater odds of above average %EWL. Female patients, patients with larger BMIs, asthmatic patients and patients with hypertension had increased odds of below average %EWL. Conclusion: Specific patient characteristics and comorbid conditions significantly altered the odds of achieving satisfactory %EWL following gastric banding.