Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Preoperative Weight Loss and Other Factors as Predictors of Postoperative Success

Correlation between weight loss before bariatric surgery and postoperative success has been discussed and investigated. It also has been a requirement for some surgeons and insurance companies.

The aim of this study is to address whether weight loss before sleeve gastrectomy is a predictor of postoperative success in terms of excess body weight lost (EBWL).

Study was performed at a community teaching hospital in Michigan.

We examined data from 204 patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy between August 2011 and January 2015. Data was collected retrospectively including demographics, comorbidities, body mass index (BMI), percentage of EBW lost prior to surgery, percentage of EBW lost, and change in BMI at 3 months (191, 93.6%), 6 months (164, 80.4%), and 12 months (134, 65.7%).

When examining postoperative mean percentage of EBW lost and change in BMI, we found that the group who lost >5% of their EBW before surgery had a statistically significant more weight loss than those who lost <5%.

There was a statistically significant differences in adjusted postoperative mean percentage EBWL and change in BMI between those who preoperatively lost >5% of their EBW and those who lost <5% favoring those who lost >5%, but both groups still achieved similar postoperative weight loss success at 1 year. Increasing preoperative BMI resulted in decreasing postoperative percentage EBWL.