Postoperative Outcomes, Weight Loss Predictors, and Late Gastrointestinal Symptoms Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the outcomes, weight loss predictors, and gastrointestinal symptoms of patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).

METHODS

The postoperative medical status of the patients was obtained retrospectively using a questionnaire and was compared to existing medical data before the surgery.

RESULTS

We included 201 candidates, 178 patients completed mean of 3 years of follow-up. Mean excess body weight loss (%EWL) was 65.14% ± 15.74 at 6 months, 78.53% ± 20.28 at 12 months, and 74.32% ± 23.92 at 3 years after LSG. Older age (P = 0.018), higher baseline BMI (P = 0.003), and higher number of medications (P < 0.001) were negative predictors for EWL%. Total weekly hours of physical activity was found to be a positive predictor for EWL% (P = 0.008). Remission rates of co-morbidities were 83.5% for dyslipidemia (P < 0.001), 65.8% for hypertension (P < 0.001), 62.1% for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (P < 0.001), and 60.7% for gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) (P < 0.001). Late gastrointestinal symptoms were as follows: emesis in 25.9%, constipation in 24.7%, diarrhea in 4.5%, food intolerance in 22.5% and alopecia in 42.7% of the patients.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows LSG as a potential tool in achieving almost 75% of EWL% with significant remission of co-morbidities, along with various late gastrointestinal symptoms.