Bariatric Surgery in the Elderly Patient: Safety and Short-time Outcome. A Case Match Analysis

Indications and outcomes of bariatric surgery in the elderly remain controversial. We aimed to evaluate and compare safety and early outcomes of bariatric procedures in this age group.

We performed a retrospective case-control study of Mayo Clinic bariatric surgery patients from January 1, 2016, to January 31, 2018. Data collection included surgery type, sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)). Patients aged 65 years old or older were matched with controls younger than 65 years by body mass index (BMI). We assessed length of stay (LOS), perioperative and early postoperative outcomes, short-term weight loss, and complications.

We included 150 bariatric patients, with a case-to-control ratio of 1:2. After laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, no significant difference was found in LOS between groups (2.4 vs 2.6 days; P = 0.52), 1-month BMI difference (3.35 vs 3.88; P = 0.17), mean nadir excess BMI loss (%EBL) (22.14 vs 23.2; P = 0.75), or complication rate (0% vs 3.3%; P > 0.99). Similarly, the laparoscopic or robotic-assisted Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) cohort showed no difference in LOS (2.65 vs 2.54 days; P = 0.68), 1-month BMI difference (4.72 vs 4.53; P = 0.68), %EBL (31.7 vs 26.6; P = 0.13), or complication rate (11.7% vs 5.71%; P = 0.43).

Although the sample size is small to draw definitive conclusions, bariatric surgery in patients 65 years or older seems to be safe, with similar outcomes and complication rates as in younger patients, regardless of procedure performed.