Abstracts
2000 Digestive Disease Week

# 2338 Quality of Life Following Laparoscopic Gastric Banding in Patients with Morbid Obesity.
Stephan M. Freys, Harald Tigges, Johannes Heimbucher, Karl H. Fuchs, Martin Fein, Arnulf Thiede, Wuerzburg, Germany

Purpose: The aims of surgical therapy in patients with morbid obesity are the reduction of body weight on the one hand, and a positive influence on the obesity related co-morbidity as well as the concomitant psychologic and social restrictions of these patients on the other hand. In a prospective clinical trial the development of the individual patients´ quality of life was analyzed following laparoscopic gastric banding (LGB) in patients with morbid obesity. Methods: 188 patients (148 female, 40 male, age: 19-59 years, body mass index: 33-52) underwent evaluation for LGB according to the following protocol: 1. History with specific questionnaire for eating habits, 2. Concise counseling of patients and relatives on non-surgical treatment alternatives, risk of surgery, and necessity of lifestyle changes following surgery, 3. Psychological testing using standardized instruments, 4. Medical evaluation including endocrinological work-up, 5. Upper GI endoscopy, 6. Esophageal motility and pH monitoring, 7. Evaluation of quality of life using the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GQLI) and the WHO Questionnaire on Quality of Life (WHOQOL). Following this evaluation 62 patients (58 female, 8 male, age: 36 (22-59) years, body mass index: 41 (37-51)) underwent LGB and were followed up for 2 years focussing on weight loss and quality of life. Results: The results of the percent loss of overweight and of the indices for quality of life are given in the table (GQLI: Theoretic highest possible value: 144, median value in 90 healthy volunteers: 120; WHOQOL: Theoretic highest possible value: 115, median value in 20 healthy volunteers: 86). Conclusions: Together with a satisfactory reduction of the excess overweight LGB may lead in a carefully selected population of patients with morbid obesity to a significant improvement of patients´ quality of life in a 2 year period following surgery.