Laparoscopic mini-gastric bypass for failed vertical banded gastroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is the only method for sustained weight loss in morbid obesity. However, 10-25% of patients will require re-operation for unsatisfactory weight loss or weight regain after restrictive surgery. Re-operation is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. This study is to evaluate the s a fety and efficacy of laparoscopic mini-gastric bypass (LMGB) for failed vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). METHODS: From May 2001 to March 2003, 29 consecutive patients underwent LMGB for failed VBG. Average age was 39.7 years (range 22 to 56), and average BMI before re-operation was 41.7 kg/m(2) (range 35.0-70.8). 8 patients had previous open VBG, and 21 had laparoscopic VBG. The re-operation was for regain of weight in 16 patients, inadequate weight loss in 10 patients, and severe reflux esophagitis in 3 patients. Re-operation was performed after an average of 58.5 months (range 14 to 180). RESULTS: All the re-operations were completed laparoscopically. Average operative time was 171.4 minutes (range 130 to 290). There was 1 mortality, due to leakage (3.4%). 1 re-operation was necessary, for incarceration of small bowel in a trocar wound 10 days after the LMGB (3.4%). 1 anastomotic site bleeding and 1 wound infection occurred. Average BMI 12 months after the LMGB was 32.1 kg/m(2) (range 26.4 to 42.7). The quality of life study was significantly improved. The revision operation had much more technical difficulty for those with previous open VBG than laparoscopic VBG. CONCLUSION: LMGB is an effective and safe revision operation for patients with failed VBG. A large series and long-term follow up is needed for confirmation.

The effect of high-, moderate-, and low-fat diets on weight loss and cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Over 60% of Americans are overweight and a number of popular diets have been advocated, often without evidence, to alleviate this public health hazard. This study was designed to investigate the effects of several diets on weight loss, serum lipids, and other cardiovascular disease risk factors. One hundred men and women followed one of four dietary programs for 1 year: a moderate-fat (MF) program without calorie restriction (28 patients); a low-fat (LF) diet (phase I) (16) ; a MF, calorie-controlled (phase II) diet (38 patients); and a high-fat (HF) diet (18 subjects) [corrected]. Weight, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), homocysteine (Ho), and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], were measured every 4th month. The TC/HDL-C ratio was calculated and fibrinogen levels were measured at baseline and after one year. The MF diet resulted in a 2.6% (NS) decrease in weight compared with 18.4% (p=0.045) decrease in patients on phase I, 12.6% (p=0.0085) decrease in patients on phase II, and 13.7% (p=0.025) decrease in those on the HF diet. TC was reduced by 5% (NS) in the MF group, 39.1% (p=0.0005) in the phase I group, and 30.4% (p=0.0001) in the phase II group. HF group had a 4.3% (NS) increase in TC. LDL-C was reduced by 6.1% (NS) on MF, 52.0% (p=0.0001) on phase I, and 38.8% (p=0.0001) on phase II. Patients on HF had a 6.0% (NS) increase in LDL-C. There were nonsignificant reductions in HDL-C in those on MF (-1.5%) and HF (-5.8%). Patients on phase I showed an increase in HDL-C of 9.0% (NS), while those on phase II diet had a 3.6% increase (NS) in HDL-C. TC/HDL-C increased (9.8%) only in patients following the high-fat diets (NS). Patients on MF had a 5.3% (NS) reduction in TC/HDL-C, while those on LF had significant reductions on the phase I ( -45.8%; p=0.0001) diet and phase II diet (-34.7%; p=0.0001). TG levels increased on both the MF (1.0%) and HF (5.5%) diets, although neither was statistically significant. People following the phase I and II diets showed reductions of 37.3% and 36.9%, respectively. Ho levels increased by 9.7% when people followed the MF diet and by 12.4% when they followed the HF diet. Patients following the phase I and phase II diets showed reductions of 13.6% and 14.6%, respectively. Only those following phase II diets showed a tendency toward significant improvement (p=0.061). Lp(a) levels increased by 4.7% following the MF (NS) diet and by 31.0% (NS) on the HF diet. Patients following phase I showed a 7.4% (NS) reduction and a 10.8% reduction (NS) following phase II. Fibrinogen levels increased only in individuals following HF diets (11.9%), while patients following MF (-0.6%), phase I (-11.0%), and phase II (-6.3%) diets showed nonsignificant reductions in fibrinogen. Patients on MF demonstrated nonsignificant reductions in weight, LDL-C, TC, HDL-C, TC/HDL-C ratios, and fibrinogen and nonsignificant increases in TGs, Lp(a), and homocysteine. There was significant weight loss in patients on phase I and II and HF diets after 1 year. Reductions in TC, LDL-C, TGs, and TC/HDL ratios were significant only in patients either following a LF diet or a MF, calorically reduced diet. Only patients following HF diets showed a worsening of each cardiovascular disease risk factor (LDL-C, TG, TC, HDL-C, TC/HDL ratio, Ho, Lp(a), and fibrinogen), despite achieving statistically significant weight loss. Copyright 2002 CHF, Inc.

Incorrect use and limited weight reduction of Orlistat ( Xenical ) ( Xenical ) in clinical practice. A cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prescribing of the antiobesity drug Orlistat ( Xenical ) in relation to the approved indication and its weight-reducing effect in clinical practice during the first 3 months of treatment. METHODS: Anonymous postal questionnaire survey to prescribers of Orlistat ( Xenical ) concerning a random sample of 1000 of 20,000 prescriptions. PARTICIPANTS: Useful information was obtained for 789 patients. SETTING: Primary and secondary care in Sweden. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Beginning and continued treatment according to the approved indication. Dropout from treatment. weight loss during treatment. RESULTS: Four percent of the patients were prescribed Orlistat ( Xenical ) despite having a body mass index (BMI) less than 28 kg/m2. Only 24% of the patients had a diet period with a weight loss of 2.5 kg or greater before the start of therapy. Half of the patients with a weight loss of less than 5% after 3 months continued the treatment. Ten percent gained weight or had no weight loss at all while 43% lost less than 5% in weight. At least one-quarter of the patients stopped the treatment within the observation period. CONCLUSION: Orlistat ( Xenical ) was not prescribed according to the approved indication in the majority of cases. The dropout rate was high and most patients had minor gain from the treatment.

Ephedrine is a sympathicomimetic agent that stimulates the central nervous and cardiovascular systems and causes bronchodilatation. It is one of the alkaloids in the herb Ephedra which is the basis of several over-the-counter herbal products, among which a number of popular weight-loss products. The Dutch Inspectorate for Health Care has received reports of adverse reactions presumably associated with Ephedra-containing weight-loss products. These adverse reactions comprised mainly palpitations, stress, headache and insomnia. The Ministry of Health in Canada has recently requested a market recall of some ephedrine-containing herbal products in response to a large number of adverse reactions reported in association with these products. The adverse reactions included stroke, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, seizures and psychotic disorders. The voluntary recall concerns especially products that were marketed without approval and contain Ephedra in combination with caffeine or other stimulants. In the Netherlands, the status of Ephedra-containing products is currently reconsidered.