Midterm outcomes of sleeve gastrectomy in the elderly

The increase in life expectancy presents health systems with a growing challenge in the form of elderly obesity. Bariatric surgery has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for obesity with reduction of excess weight and improvement in obesity-related co-morbidities. However, only recently have surgeons begun performing these operations on elderly patients on a larger scale, making data regarding mid- and long-term outcomes scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and midterm efficacy of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in patients aged ≥60 years.

All patients aged ≥60 years who underwent LSG between 2008 and 2014 and achieved ≥24-month follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic characteristics and perioperative data were analyzed. Weight loss parameters and co-morbidity resolution rates were compared with preoperative data.

In total 55 patients aged ≥60 years underwent LSG. Mean patient age was 63.9 ± 3.2 years (range, 60-75.2), and mean preoperative body mass index was 43 ± 6.0 kg/m². Perioperative morbidity included 5 cases of hemorrhage necessitating operative exploration, 2 cases of reduced hemoglobin levels treated with blood transfusion, and 1 case of portal vein thrombosis managed with anticoagulation. There were no mortalities. Mean follow-up time was 48.6 (range, 25.6-94.5) months. Mean percentage of excess weight loss was 66.4 ± 19.7, 67.5 ±1 6.4, 61.4 ± 18.3, 66.7 ± 25.6, 50.7 ± 21.4 at 12, 24, 36, 37 to 60, and 61 to 96 months, respectively. Statistically significant improvement of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were observed at the latest follow-up (P < .01).

LSG offers an effective treatment of obesity and its co-morbidities in patients aged ≥60 years, albeit with a high perioperative bleeding rate at our center; efficacy is maintained for at least 4.5 years.