Pre- and postoperative imaging of adolescents undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery.

Background: As childhood obesity rates rise, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is being investigated as a bariatric surgical option in adolescents.

Objective: To examine pre- and postoperative imaging in adolescents undergoing LAGB, describe the most common abnormal preoperative imaging findings, and illustrate the typical appearance and variants on postoperative upper-gastrointestinal (UGI) examinations.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of all adolescents from 2008 to 2010 undergoing LAGB at a single tertiary-care pediatric hospital. The picture archiving and communication system was queried for all imaging obtained before and after surgery. Postoperative UGI studies were analyzed for common patterns.

Results: Twenty-seven obese adolescents who underwent LAGB were identified. Twenty-five had preoperative imaging, most commonly a UGI study (81.5%). Eight UGI studies were abnormal but did not impact surgery. Preoperative chest and neck radiographs were also common. Intraoperative imaging was rare. Seventy-three postoperative UGI studies were performed on 22 children (range, 2-12 studies). A common postoperative imaging pattern was observed in 19/22 (86%) children. No complications were observed.

Conclusion: The most common pre- and postoperative imaging studies in adolescents undergoing LAGB are UGI studies. Pediatric radiologists should be familiar with the imaging of LAGB as this procedure becomes increasingly common.