LAP-BAND for BMI 30–40: 5-year health outcomes from the multicenter pivotal study

Background: We performed a 5-year multicenter study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the LAP-BAND System surgery (LBS) in patients with obesity with a body mass index (BMI) of 30–39.9 kg m − 2 . This pivotal study was designed to support LBS application to the US Food and Drug Administration for broadening the indications for surgery and the lower BMI indication was approved with 1-year data in 2011, with the intention to complete the 5-year evaluation. Objectives: To present broad health outcome data including weight change, patient reported outcomes, comorbidity change and complications during the 5-year study. Setting: The study was conducted at seven US private practice clinical trial sites. Methods: We enrolled 149 BMI 30–39.9 subjects into a 5-year, multicenter, longitudinal, prospective post-approval study. Data for those completing each time point are presented. Results: The predefined target of at least 30% excess weight loss was achieved by more than 76% of subjects by 1-year and at every year thereafter during the 5-year study. Mean percentage weight loss at 5 years was 15.9±12.4%. Sustained weight loss was accompanied by sustained improvement in generic and weight-specific quality of life, symptoms of depression and the prevalence of binge-eating disorder. The number of subjects with normal fasting triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, plasma glucose and HbA1c increased significantly between baseline and 5 years. Fifty-four months after LBS implantation, the rate of device explants without replacement was 5.4%; however, the rate of explants increased to 12.1% by month 60 owing to no cost-elective band removals offered to subjects at study exit. No deaths or unanticipated adverse device effects were reported. Conclusions: The LBS is safe and effective for people with BMI 30–39.9 with demonstrated improvements in weight loss, comorbidities and quality of life, and with a low explant rate through 5 years following treatment.