Background: a prospective randomized study was undertaken to compare the outcome of vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) and gastric bypass (GBP) in patients with clinically severe obesity. Methods: eligibility criteria included Class IV obesity, <50 years old and a history of at least one attempt of non-operative weight loss. Patients were managed conservatively for 3 months prior to surgery. Patients were followed post-operatively and monitored for early and late complications and their weight loss outcome for up to 5 years. Results: 44 patients were recruited. Two patients withdrew within 4 weeks and were excluded. Twenty subjects had a GBP and 22 a VBG. There were no significant differences with respect to age, gender, maximum or pre-operative weight between the groups (p > 0.05). Patients who underwent GBP demonstrated significantly greater post-operative weight loss (p < 0.05) which was apparent from 6 months onwards. There were no deaths, pulmonary emboli, post-operative leaks or wound dehiscence. There were no instances of staple-line disruption. Symptomatic ulcer disease, confirmed endoscopically, developed in 25% of GBP patients. Nine patients developed gallstones post-operatively of whom five were in the VBG and four in the GBP group. Conclusions: weight loss following GBP was maintained, while VBG patients slowly regained.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Howard, L., Malone, M., Michalek, A. et al. Gastric Bypass and Vertical Banded Gastroplasty- a Prospective Randomized Comparison and 5-Year Follow-up. OBES SURG 5, 55–60 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1381/096089295765558169
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1381/096089295765558169