• H Weiss, H Nehoda, B Labeck, R Peer, and F Aigner.
• General Surgery Department, University Hospital, Innsbruck, 6020 Austria.
• Obes Surg. 2000 Apr 1;10(2):167-70.

BackgroundLaparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is the most used procedure for bariatric surgery in Europe. Although a low complication rate is reported, band migration within the first 2 years after LAGB is still observed in nearly 5% of cases, requiring operative band removal. To avoid increased risk of complications due to laparotomy, we propose a minimally invasive technique for this purpose.MethodsWe performed this operation in five patients who suffered from band migration after LAGB (1.9% in our series of 211 patients, one patient was operated elsewhere). The described method consists of gastroscopic band and tube removal, combined with removal of the port under local anesthesia.ResultsThe described procedure was developed in the endoscopy unit without additional equipment. The mean operating-time ranged from 65 to 180 minutes (mean 135 minutes). No perioperative complication were observed. In-patient treatment was necessary for 4 days.ConclusionsA novel technique for minimally invasive band removal after adjustable gastric band migration is described, offering the patient a low-risk procedure and a better chance for further laparoscopic approaches.

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