Bariatric Surgery And The Lap Band: An Analysis of Efficacy

Crane, B.A., M.A., Dave, Master of Public Health (Health Management and Policy), December 2003, Bariatric Surgery and the Lap Band: An Analysis of Efficacy, 40 pages, 15 tables, references, 45 titles. Obesity has quickly become both a national and global health issue. The evidence is increasingly consistent that obesity has a causal relationship with serious medical complications. The Lap Band, a surgical procedure for weight control, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June, 2001. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of this procedure by reviewing existing literature and studying a patient population that had received Lap Band surgery. The retrospective review included information on 93 patients in the bariatric program at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. The preliminary data in this study agrees with other studies , which shows that the Lap Band is an effective intervention for morbidly obese patients.