Hundreds of obese patients who had lap-band surgery maintained an average weight loss of 26 kilograms for more than a decade after their procedure, an Australian study shows.

Professor Paul O``Brien and colleagues from the Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE) at Monash University in Melbourne analysed the results in 3,227 patients who had gastric banding between 1994, when the procedure was first introduced, and 2011.

The patients in the study were averaged at 47 years of age and 78 per cent were women.

Of those patients, 714 had surgery at least 10 years ago and, on average, had maintained a weight loss of 26 kilograms, or almost half of their excess weight.

The weight loss results were similar for the 54 patients in the study who had undergone treatment at least 15 years ago.

No deaths occurred as a result of the surgery or follow-up operations, which were needed in about half of patients.
Weight loss associated with gastric banding was similar to that achieved with more invasive gastric bypass procedures, the research found.

Prof O``Brien said the research showed lap-band surgery was a safe and effective long-term solution for obesity.