The Daily Mail
London, UK
7 September, 2006


Stomach stapling may be a radical and dangerous procedure to lose weight but it is safer than staying obese, new research suggests.

Two studies presented to an international obesity conference in Sydney this week suggest patients who undergo surgery to lose weight are up to 73 percent less likely to die prematurely than those who stay obese.

A study by Australia's Monash University started in 1994 compared around 1,500 obese patients who underwent surgery to a control group matched for age, sex, height and weight.

Twelve years later, those who had the surgery had lost about half of their excess weight, and were 73 percent less likely to have died prematurely than the control group, the researchers said.

The patients in the Australian study underwent a procedure known as laproscopic gastric banding, in which an adjustable silicone band is placed around the upper stomach, creating a small pouch that limits food consumption and creates a feeling of fullness.

John Dixon, the head of clinical research at Monash's Center for Obesity Research, acknowledged the study received partial funding from the company that pioneered the surgical technique, but insists the findings are clear.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...in_page_id=1774

What about the people who suffered after the operations where do they account in these stats?

This sounds like cover up language to me. Less likely to have died prematurely but may not have necessarily had a longer average life span.

Don't know about the feeling of fullness. My mother-in-law had the procedure, and she still fights overeating. When she eats too much or the wrong kinds of food, she throws it up. She's lost 35lb so far though, and is determined to succeed. But old eating habits are hard to change.

How do you come up with "stomach stapling" from gastric banding anyway? Stapling was more dangerous wasn't it? And not reversible.

I have the band and it's worked exactly as advertised. Still, the band doesn't do it for me and I have to keep track of carbs. I can eat a little fruit and dairy, but overall I keep it low. Last year I lost 65 lbs with a minimum of effort. I'm still losing and now that I've gotten the handle on how much I can eat and what gives me trouble, I seldom have discomfort from having the band. As there are no more problems with getting the band than with any surgery requiring anesthesia, my life span has probably been lengthened (aside from getting hit by a bus tomorrow ). On the other hand, I can run a lot faster now, so maybe I'm less likely to get hit by a bus too!

yeah but at least your insides haven't been butchered and you can remove the band if ever it becomes necessary. Also, I'm not that familiar with the procedure, but does it create malabsorption (another word for malnutrition, really) the way gastric bypass does?

Isn't it interesting that in the past we would have simply accepted the study but now we are instantly suspicious that results have been creatively interpreted? It's like growing up. We no longer believe the world is a wonderful place where everyone wants what is best for you. So this website is a little like the serpent in the Garden of Eden

You're right - I was highly against rearranging my insides. Thus I have no malabsorption problems.

I think this is a good place to open our eyes and learn to question what the "experts" tell us! There are a few snakes in the grass out there.

Very good point Angeline.

Amazing how this bunch of people on this forum have taught me about critical and independent thinking...

Let's keep it like that!

TBone

I suspect that malabsorption is a large part of why gastric bypass is so successful. I can't help thinking that is not such a good thing for the long term however. That's why when they claim that long term results seem good, I tend to be skeptical.

Think about this. If a person exhibited all the symptoms of a successful gastric bypass.... inability to eat more than a few bites, frequent vomiting, malabsorption.... Doctors would be highly worried and they would probably be rushed to the hospital and put on an IV.