BACKGROUND

Weight regain in the postoperative period after bariatric surgery is directly related to the relapse of preoperative comorbidities and a negative impact on the patients' biochemical profile.

AIMS

To assess the metabolic impact of weight regain on preoperative comorbidities and on patients' biochemical profiles, in order to show the impact of the complications on the metabolic outcomes of bariatric surgery.

METHODS

A retrospective study was carried out with 75 women in the late postoperative period of bariatric surgery who presented pathological weight regain (≥20% of the maximum weight loss). Data of interest consisted of glycemic, lipid, and inflammatory profile measurements at three different moments of evaluation: preoperative period, at the weight nadir (minimum weight), and after weight regain. A multivariate analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The mean age was 46.39±12.09 years. Preoperative body mass index was 40.10±4.11 kg/m2. There was an overall increase of 3.36 points in the mean body mass index between the nadir and after regain: from 26.30±3.9 kg/m2 to 29.66±4.66 kg/m2. The mean time to reach the nadir was 18±7.6 months, with an average percentage of excess weight loss of 91.08±11.8%. The median time for pathological weight regain was 48 months, and the mean regain amongst the sample was 8.85±5.65 kg. There was a significant correlation between pathological weight regain and levels of insulin (r=0.351; p<0.011), C-peptide (r=0.303; p<0.011), C-reactive protein (r=0.402; p<0.001), and vitamin D (r=-0.435; p<0.001), the last two being the most influenced by the percentage of weight regained.

CONCLUSIONS

The pathological weight regain in the postoperative period of bariatric surgery results in losses in the patients' metabolic and inflammatory profiles. However, the biochemical benefits are sustained up to the preoperative levels of the parameters analyzed.