Comparative analysis of practices and outcomes of metabolic and bariatric surgery between Mexico and Latin America: results of a pilot registry

Aim: The interest in metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) registries has increased globally. In 2014, a pilot initiative of a multi-institutional collaboration named “LATAM CQI” started in Latin America (LATAM). The aim of the present study is to analyze the results of the 5-year Mexican experience compared to the LATAM data. Methods: Data were divided into two groups: the Mexican institutions (3,344 patients) and the rest of the hospitals included in the LATAM registry (10,383 patients). Demography, somatometry variables, comorbid conditions, surgical procedures, complications, and outcomes in terms of weight loss and evolution of the comorbid conditions were comparatively analyzed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied based on the original scaling of every included variable. Any P -value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant for two-tailed hypothesis testing. Results: Mean age and mean body mass index (BMI) were very similar between groups. The most common comorbid condition was high blood pressure (HBP), followed by Type 2 diabetes (T2D). In Mexico, the most frequently performed surgical procedure was the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) (69%), followed by sleeve gastrectomy (SG) (23.5%). In LATAM, the most common surgical procedure was SG (57.4%). The RYGB was performed in 40.2% of patients. Complications at 30 and 90 days were 6% and 2%, respectively, in Mexico and 4% and 2% in LATAM. The comparative analysis of weight loss divided by surgical procedure was very similar. Conclusion: Our analysis supports the value of registries as a valuable tool to compare practices and outcomes.