Patient Factors Associated with Undergoing Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding vs Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass for Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding are 2 commonly performed bariatric procedures in the US with different profiles for risk and effectiveness. Little is known about factors that might lead patients to proceed with one procedure over the other. STUDY DESIGN: We recruited and interviewed patients seeking bariatric surgery from 2 academic centers in Boston (response rate 70%). We conducted multivariable analyses to identify patient perceptions and clinical and behavioral characteristics that correlated with undergoing gastric banding (n = 239) vs gastric bypass (n = 297). RESULTS: After adjustment for socio-demographic and clinical factors, we found that older patients (odds ratio [OR] 1.03; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.05) and those with higher quality of life scores and higher levels of uncontrolled eating were more likely to undergo gastric banding as opposed to gastric bypass. In contrast, patients with type 2 diabetes (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.77), those who desired greater weight loss, and those who were willing to assume higher mortality risk to achieve their ideal weight were less likely to proceed with gastric banding. After initial adjustment, male sex and lower body mass index were associated with a likelihood of undergoing gastric banding; however, these factors were no longer significant after adjustment for other significant correlates such as patients' perceived ideal weight, predilection to assume risk to lose weight, and eating behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' diabetes status, quality of life, eating behavior, ideal weight loss, and willingness to assume mortality risk to lose weight were associated with whether patients proceeded with gastric banding as opposed to gastric bypass. Other clinical factors were less important. ((C)2013 by the American College of Surgeons)