Background: An increasing number of patients with a failed primary bariatric procedure present themselves for secondary treatment. Only a few studies have investigated critically the success of revisional surgery. In the present study, the effectiveness of revisional surgery for failed vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) is analyzed: restoration of the VBG (reVBG) is compared to conversion to a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).
Patients and methods: From 1980 to 1996, 136 consecutive morbidly obese patients underwent primary RYGB (n = 20) or VBG (n = 16). Weight loss, indications and complications after revisional surgery were registered. The rate of revisional surgery after primary and secondary bariatric procedures was estimated by means of a Kaplan-Meier analysis.
Results: Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that 56% of the patients will eventually require revisional surgery after initial VBG over a 12-year period compared to 12% after initial RYGB (P<0.01). After reVBG 68% will need revisional surgery over a 5-year period, while no further revisional surgery was required after conversion to a RYGB (P<0.05). Body mass index dropped significantly after reVBG or conversion to RYGB for insufficient weight loss (P<0.05), however, more revisional surgery was necessary after reVBG to achieve this result. The complication rate was comparable between reVBG and conversion to RYGB (33%).
Conclusion: Conversion of a failed VBG to a RYGB is more effective than a reVBG, because conversion to RYGB provides satisfactory weight loss without requiring further revisional surgery.