Lap-Band for Weight Loss

Marc Bessler, M.D.

New York Presbyterian Center for Obesity Surgery

FDA Approved

Obesity is a Disease

• 55% of Americans are overweight or obese • These rates, already among the highest in the

world, are increasing • Patients suffer social and economic

discrimination• The Institute of Medicine calculated the

health care cost to be more than $70 billion annually

• Mortality : 2-10 fold increase

What Causes Obesity ?

• Obesity develops when energy intake consistently exceeds energy output

• Complex disease involving:

- genetics - physiology

- metabolism - appetite regulation

- environmental factors

- psychosocial & cultural

Why Lose Weight ?

• Feel Better

• Quality of Life

• Look Better

• Be Healthier

• Avoid Discrimination

• Live Longer

Medical Problems from Obesity

• Many medical problems are caused by or worsened by obesity.

• Most get better or go away with significant weight loss.

• These medical problems are called comorbidities.

Obesity Comorbidities

• High Blood Pressure• Diabetes• High Cholesterol• High Triglycerides• Heart Disease• Joint Pains• Difficulty Breathing• Sleep Apnea

• Heartburn• Urine Incontinence• Varicose Veins• Difficulty Exercising• Fatty Liver• Increased Cancer Risk• Frequent Headaches• Sex Hormone Problems

Morbid Obesity

• 100 pounds over Ideal Body Weight

• Body Mass Index of 40 or greater

• 80 pounds over Ideal Body Weight if causing significant comorbidity

• Body Mass Index of 35 or greater if causing significant comorbidity

Ideal Body Weight

Metropolitan Life Insurance Height-Weight Table, 1983 Height Women Men Height Women Men 4’10” 115 5’8” 143 151 4’11” 117 5’9” 146 154 5’0” 119 5’10” 149 157 5”1” 122 5’11” 152 160 5’2” 125 136 6’0” 155 163 5’3” 128 138 6’1” 167 5’4” 131 140 6’2” 171 5’6” 134 142 6’3” 174 5’7” 137 145 6’4” 179

Body Mass Index (BMI)

• A number that indicates degree of overweight.

• Eliminates height from consideration

• Calculated as 703 times weight in pounds

• divided by height in inches squared.

• Normal is 20-25

BMI Table

Height in Inches Height in Inches Height in Inches Wt 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 Wt 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 Wt 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 154 33 31 29 27 26 24 23 22 20 19 165 36 33 31 29 28 26 24 23 22 21 176 38 36 33 31 29 28 26 25 23 22187 40 38 35 33 31 29 28 26 25 24 198 43 40 37 35 33 31 29 28 26 25 209 45 42 40 37 35 33 31 29 28 26220 48 44 42 39 37 35 33 31 29 28 231 50 47 44 41 39 36 34 32 31 29 243 52 49 46 43 40 38 36 34 32 30254 55 51 48 45 42 40 38 35 34 32 265 57 53 50 47 44 42 39 37 35 33 276 59 56 52 49 46 43 41 39 37 35287 62 58 54 51 48 45 42 40 38 36 298 64 60 56 53 50 47 44 42 39 37 309 67 62 58 55 51 48 46 43 41 39320 69 64 60 57 53 50 47 45 42 40 331 71 67 62 59 55 52 49 46 44 42 342 74 69 65 61 57 54 51 48 45 43353 76 71 67 63 59 55 52 49 47 44 364 78 73 69 64 61 57 54 51 48 46 375 81 76 71 66 62 59 56 52 50 47386 83 78 73 68 64 61 57 54 51 48 397 86 80 75 70 66 62 59 56 53 50 408 88 82 77 72 68 64 60 57 54 51419 90 84 79 74 70 66 62 59 56 53 430 93 87 81 76 72 67 64 60 57 54 441 95 89 83 78 73 69 65 62 58 55452 98 91 85 80 75 71 67 63 60 57 463 99 93 87 82 77 73 69 65 61 58

Risk of Death and Obesity

0

100

200

300

15 20 25 30 35 40

BMI

D

E

A

T

H

Treatment Options

• Diets

• Exercise

• Behavior Modification

• Medication

• Surgery

Diets Don’t Work !

• Almost anyone can lose weight dieting

• Almost no one can maintain long term weight loss

• 97% of patients 100 pounds or more overweight regain lost weight within 2 years

• Often gain more than was lost

Exercise

• Very important as part of any weight loss program

• Regular exercise causes more weight loss and keeps it off longer

• Length of time is more important than intensity

• Rarely enough as treatment alone

Medications

• Cause only modest weight loss 10-15%

• Need to be taken indefinitely

• Often cause side effects

• Expensive and often not covered by insurance

• Only work well in combination with diet and exercise

Surgery

• There are 2 safe and effective procedures commonly used in the US– Vertical Banded Gastroplasty– Gastric Bypass

• 20 year history and follow up

• Only proven long term effective treatment

• Patients should have failed other treatments

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty

• VBG commonly known as Stomach Stapling

• Small stomach pouch• Staples partition stomach• Plastic band controls

outlet to rest of stomach

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty

• Advantages– Simple to perform

– Bottom of stomach and duodenum can be easily examined

– Low incidence of leaks

– Normal absorption of nutrients

– ? lower risk of bowel obstruction

Problems with VBG

• Staple line can pull through (break)

• Band too tight for some causes vomiting

• Not adjustable

• Infection or erosion of band

• Can lead to poor dietary habits

• Failure in 25-50% of patients

• Has fallen out of favor in US

Gastric Bypass

• Small stomach pouch made from top of stomach

• Pouch empties directly to intestine

• Food and enzymes meet lower down in the intestine

• No plastic ring

Gastric Bypass Advantages

• No plastic ring

• Greater weight loss

• Causes avoidance of sweets and fats

• Most foods well tolerated

• Low failure rate

• Little weight regain

Problems with Gastric Bypass

• Higher rate of complications

• 1/2 - 1% death rate

• Vitamins and minerals poorly absorbed

• Laparoscopy may increase complications

• Difficult to reverse

Lap-Band System

Lap-Band System

• System Components– Silastic band– Integrated bladder– Self locking buckle– Tubing– Port

Lap-Band

Lap-Band Port

Lap-Band the Operation

Lap Band Around the World

• Most common operation for obesity in Europe, Australia and South America.

• Over 50,000 implanted worldwide in past 9 years

• Extremely safe with good weight loss

• Recently FDA approval in the US

Lap-Band Placement

Lap Band Closure

Lap-Band Placement

Lap Band Placement

Lap-Band Fixation

Diet after Operation

• Fluids

• Pureed foods

• Soft food

• Regular food

• Meats, fresh breads and white rice come last and may not be well tolerated except in small amounts and well chewed

Office Visits

• 2 weeks after surgery

• 6 weeks after surgery– may have first band adjustment

• Monthly for first year– band adjustments as indicated

• Quarterly in second year

• Yearly for life

Band Adjustment

Lap-Band Inflation

Over Inflation

Components for Success

• Education– Nurse

• understand procedure

• care after operation

– Nutritionist• diet changes

• healthy balanced food choices

• Surgery• Commitment

– follow up

– follow the rules

Weight Loss

• More Gradual than other operations• Continues longer up to 2 years• 1/3-2/3 of excess weight• Depends on following rules

– No Sweets– No Snacking– No liquids with calories

• A Tool not a Miracle

Complications

• Band Slippage 3-5%

• Band Erosion 1-3%

• Tubing Leak 2-3%

• Port Infection 1-2%

• Stomach Perforation <1%

• Esophageal Dilation ?

• Death <0.1% (less than 1/1000)

Summary

• Obesity is a significant health problem

• Non-surgical treatment is ineffective long term

• Gastric Bypass is currently most common in US

• Lap-Band most common in rest of World

• Lap-Band is safer than Gastric Bypass but may offer less weight loss on average

• Commitment to long term dietary change is key to success with Lap-Band

Thank

You