The effects of sleeve gastrectomy on shoe size one year after surgery

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of sleeve gastrectomy on shoe size one year after the procedure. To our knowledge, no study has yet been conducted addressing this issue.

Patients who were prepared for sleeve gastrectomy were eligible for the study, and all data and preoperative shoe sizes were recorded in our prospective database. At the 12^th month of follow-up, each patient's excess weight loss % was calculated, and their shoe sizes were recorded by verbal report. Arbitrary or half-size changes were not taken into consideration. The probability of a change in shoe size and the effects of age, sex, preoperative body mass index, and 12th month excess weight loss % on this change were investigated. p<0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.

The subjects of the study were 212 patients who completed their 12-month follow-ups after sleeve gastrectomy between January 2012 and February 2016. The mean shoe size was 41.5; this decreased to 40.5 one year after sleeve gastrectomy (p<0.001). In patients with body mass index (BMI)>50, both the mean decrease (p=0.008) and the percentage of at least two size decreases (p=0.009) were significantly higher than those in patients with BMI<40. Age, sex, and excess weight loss % did not have any significant effects on shoe size.

Sleeve gastrectomy was clearly associated with decrease in shoe size after 12 months. Only preoperative body mass index was found to be directly associated with this decrease.