Impact of Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding for Morbid Obesity on Disease-Specific and Health-Related Quality of Life

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Finnish morbidly obese individuals was compared with that of Finnish age norms and prospectively with the HRQoL and the disease-specific quality of life (QoL) at 12 months, and cross-sectionally at 28 months, following laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, mainly with the Swedish band. Methods: The Moorehead-Ardelt questionnaire was used for disease-specific QoL assessments in 95 patients preoperatively, in 52 patients prospectively followed-up to 12 months, and cross-sectionally in 52 patients operated at a median of 28 months earlier. A generic 15-dimensional questionnaire was used for HRQoL-measurements in 75 patients preoperatively, and 34 patients have been followed-up to 12 months. HRQoL outcomes were compared cross-sectionally with the 52 patients operated at a median of 28 months earlier. Results: Disease-specific QoL scores were significantly improved on all domains of the Moorehead-Ardelt questionnaire 12 months after surgical treatment, an impr ovement maintained at a median of 28 months follow-up. Significant improvements in generic HRQoL scores were seen on the dimensions mobility, respiratory function, sleep, the performance of usual acts, vitality and sexuality 12 months after surgery. Significant worsening was seen on the eating dimension. Of these dimensions, mobility and sleeping were not significantly improved at a median of 28 months follow-up, and scores on the eating dimension were not significantly worse compared with values obtained in the preoperative group. HRQoL single index score was significantly improved 12 months after surgery. This improvement did not correlate with the extent of weight loss. Conclusion: Disease-specific QoL was significantly improved at 12 months follow-up, an improvement that seems to have been maintained at a median of 28 months following operation. HRQol was significantly improved 12 months after the operation. There may be a decline in the improvements after that.