LAP-BAND System Surgery Outperforms Non-Surgical Weight-Loss Programs in Reducing Comorbidities

Strategic Insights -

A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that LAP-BAND System surgery is significantly more effective in reducing weight and improving health and quality of life than non-surgical weight-loss programs. The study, conducted by Professor Paul O'Brien and his team at Monash University's Centre for Obesity Research and Education, directly compared LAP-BAND System surgery to traditional non-surgical weight-loss programs in mild to moderately obese patients.

The study showed that LAP-BAND patients lost greater amounts of weight and saw a reduction in the metabolic syndrome, a condition in obese people where insulin levels are too high and which puts people at greater risk of problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and abnormal blood lipid levels, than non-surgical patients. At two years, surgical patients had lost an average of 20.5 kg (45.1 lbs) or 21.6 percent of their average initial body weight, while the non-surgical group had lost an average of 5.3 kg (11.66 lbs) at two years.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that LAP-BAND System surgery is significantly more effective in reducing weight and improving health and quality of life than non-surgical weight-loss programs.
  • At two years, surgical patients had lost an average of 20.5 kg (45.1 lbs) or 21.6 percent of their average initial body weight.
  • The non-surgical group had lost an average of 5.3 kg (11.66 lbs) at two years.
  • The metabolic syndrome was significantly more likely to be resolved after two years in the surgical group than the non-surgical group.
  • The average surgical patient's body mass index (BMI) went from 33.7 at the beginning of the study to 26.4 after 2 years.
  • The non-surgical group's BMI was reduced from an average of 33.5 at the beginning of the study to 31.5 at the study's conclusion.
  • The study suggests that physicians should re-examine the guidelines for weight-loss surgery to determine if they should be expanded to include mild to moderately obese patients.

Statistics:

  • 20.5 kg (45.1 lbs) average weight loss for surgical patients at two years
  • 21.6 percent average weight loss for surgical patients at two years
  • 87.2 percent of surgical group's excess body weight lost at two years
  • 5.3 kg (11.66 lbs) average weight loss for non-surgical group at two years
  • 5.5 percent average weight loss for non-surgical group at two years
  • 21.6 percent of non-surgical group's excess weight lost at two years
  • 38 percent of surgical and non-surgical groups presented with metabolic syndrome at the start of the study
  • 3 percent of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding patients and 24 percent of non-surgical patients presented with metabolic syndrome at the end of the study

Sources:

  • Annals of Internal Medicine, May 2 issue
  • Monash University's Centre for Obesity Research and Education
  • Professor Paul O'Brien, Director of the Centre for Obesity Research and Education at Monash University
  • Inamed Health, manufacturer of the LAP-BAND System