Sleeve gastrectomy as a bridge to cardiac recovery - A retrospective comparative cohort study

Obesity in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) increases morbidity and may preclude them from accessing advanced heart failure therapies. Bariatric surgery, specifically sleeve gastrectomy (SG), may improve eligibility for cardiac transplant; however, its impact on heart failure outcomes is not well defined.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥35 kg/m²) and (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] ≤40%) who underwent SG at a tertiary heart transplant center. Outcomes were compared with controls matched for age, sex, LVEF, and BMI receiving standard care. We evaluated BMI, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, medications, echocardiographic parameters, time to advanced heart failure therapies, and survival.

Twenty patients (median BMI 42.8 kg/m², LVEF 25%) underwent SG compared to 40 matched patients. Both groups demonstrated reductions in BMI; however, weight loss was significantly greater in the treatment group (-9.9 [95% CI -12.2, -7.6] vs. -2.7 [-4.3, -1.1] kg/m², p < 0.05). Despite this, improvements in LVEF (+16.6% [10.2, 23.0] vs. +0.1% [-4.4, 4.7], p < 0.05) along with NYHA class (-0.8 [95% CI: -1.3, -0.3] vs. +0.4 [0.1, 0.7], p < 0.05) were only observed in those receiving SG. Overall survival was significantly higher in the treatment group [HR: 0.2 (0.07, 0.62), p < 0.01], which had no deaths compared to 35% in the comparison group.

In patients with HFrEF and obesity, SG is associated with significant improvements in cardiac function and survival compared to standard care, supporting its role as a safe and effective bridge to recovery or candidacy.