Marlex Mesh Gastric Banding: A 7-12 Year Follow-Up

This paper presents a 7-12 year (mean 9.8 years) followup of 92 extremely obese patients treated with Marlex® mesh gastric banding (GB). The follow-up rate was 92% (85 patients). Weight loss was initially good (an average reduction in BMI of 13 during the first year), but late weight gain has been a common complaint and a reason for reoperation. Other complications that necessitated reoperation were severe vomiting and esophagitis not amenable to medical treatment. Four patients have developed signs of Barrett's esophagus at late follow-up. Forty-six patients (50%) were reoperated 70 times for correction of the band or conversion to vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). The most common reoperative procedure was conversion to VBG (38 patients). Only 25 (31%) of the 80 patients with long-term follow-up have an intact band. Our results show the need of long follow-up and that this GB cannot be recommended for the treatment of morbid obesity.