At the Band Summit: Introducing Band with Plication

band with plicationAt the 2011 Gastric Band Summit taking place yesterday and today in Miami, preliminary data on a new bariatric procedure – Band with Plication – was presented for the first time. This procedure is a routine laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding with the addition of gastric plication below the band.

Dr. Jaime Ponce, one of the first surgeons in the country to do Stomach Greater Curvature Plication, tells us “Plication is a way of creating a ‘sleeve’ pouch, similar to that in a gastric sleeve procedure, but by in-folding the stomach. Unlike the traditional sleeve procedure, Plication does not involve removal of any part of the stomach. This relatively new procedure is being evaluated in few centers in the United States under research protocols. The very early results suggests that weight loss is similar to the sleeve gastrectomy.”

At the summit today, the preliminary data from a Band with Plication study was presented by Dr Dana Portenier. This is a combined study by Duke University and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The current study involves 45 patients with a mean age of 43 years. They have a mean starting weight of 255lbs, and BMI of 42. The majority of the patients had a Band with Plication procedure done, although 9 had a Plication done in combination with a band revision. Early results show 37% EWL (Excess Weight Loss) at 18 weeks.

Proponents of  this new procedure think that compared with standard gastric banding it may: provide faster and more durable weight loss, and might require fewer band adjustments and reduce complications such as slips or erosions. Another proposed benefit compared to a gastric plications without banding is that it may allow a less tight plication which would decrease suture line leaks and ischemia.

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