Preoperative Predictors of Weight Loss at 4 Years Following Bariatric Surgery

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the influence of patient characteristics, preoperative weight loss, and type of surgical procedure on long-term weight loss after bariatric surgery (BS). METHODS: Subjects were a prospective cohort of 95 patients who underwent BS with 4 years of follow-up. Seventy-seven patients (81.1%) underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and 18 (18.9%) had laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Age, gender, initial body mass index (BMI), preoperative percentage of excess weight loss, presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, current smoking status, and surgical technique were analyzed via multivariate linear regression analysis to identify predictors of weight loss during the 4 years after the surgery. RESULTS: Maximum percentage of excess weight loss was obtained at 18 months. Age and preoperative BMI were negatively associated with percentage of excess weight loss at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years after BS (P < .005). At 4 years, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was independently associated with a higher weight loss than laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Younger age, lower BMI, and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are independent predictors of long-term weight loss after BS.