Bariatric Surgery in Septuagenarians: a Comparison with <60 Year Olds

There is reluctance amongst many healthcare professionals to offer bariatric surgery to septuagenarians. There is only one study in the scientific literature specifically describing any experience with this group of patients and none that compares the outcomes in this group with younger patients.

We retrospectively examined our prospective database to identify all those who were >70 years old at the time of bariatric surgery. This group was then compared with a matched (for sex, body mass index, surgical procedure, and time of surgery) cohort of younger (<60 year old) patients. Information was obtained from our database, case notes, hospital electronic records, by interviewing team members, and from general practitioners.

A total of 10 septuagenarians were compared with 10 younger patients (mean age 41 years). There were one early complication and 1 late complication in the over 70 group as opposed to no early complication and 2 late complications in the younger group. There was no mortality or early reoperation in either group. Excess weight loss of 50.4, 67.4, and 74.0% in the >70 age group at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively, was no different to 51.3, 70.8, and 73.9% in <60 year olds. The effect on the co-morbidity resolution was similar in the two groups.

In carefully selected septuagenarians, bariatric surgery can be performed with safety and efficacy comparable to those <60 years old.