Gastric bypass surgery gives better health benefits than banding

A new research has revealed that gastric bypass surgery gives better health benefits than banding, like long-term weight loss, controlling type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and lowering cholesterol levels.

The review at University of Texas Southwestern found that those undergoing gastric bypass operations lost more weight, an average of 66 percent of their excess weight, compared to 45 percent average excess weight loss for those undergoing gastric banding procedures.

Researcher Nancy Puzziferri said that they now have the best evidence available telling them this outcome continues to be true even up to five years after surgery, suggesting that these procedures maintain their safety profile long-term.

Gastric bypass surgery also lowered hypertension better than gastric banding and improved hyperlipidemia, characterized by high levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoproteins in the blood.

Puzziferri added that the review underscores the importance of thinking about durable treatments, as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and elevated cholesterol are chronic illnesses, rather than focusing on short-term results.

The study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).