Outcomes of Weight Loss, Diabetes, Hypertension and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea after Bariatric Surgery in Patients with Super Morbid Obesity

Introduction: There is currently a high prevalence of obesity in the Arabian Gulf yet relatively little research on bariatric surgery. In this study we investigate the efficacy of bariatric surgery in patients with super morbid obesity, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥ 50 kg/m2 . Methods: All records of bariatric surgery at a single centre were examined. Outcomes measured include Body Mass Index (BMI), percentage Excess Weight Loss (%EWL), Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), Hypertension (HTN) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Statistical relationships between %EWL against age, type of surgery and gender were analysed. Results: 144 patients were found to meet the inclusion criteria. Mean pre-operative BMI was 56.9 ± 6.1 kg/m2 . 90 (62.5%) patients underwent sleeve gastrectomy, 24 (16.7%) had one anastomosis gastric bypass, 16 (11.1%) had biliopancreatic diversion (Scopinaro’s procedure), and 14 (9.7%) had sleeve gastrectomy with transit loop bipartition. 12 months post-operatively, mean BMI was 37.7 ± 7.5 kg/m2 , with a mean %EWL of 62.9% ± 17.9%. There was 100% OSA resolution, 95.3% HTN resolution, and 79.4% T2DM resolution. %EWL was found to decrease slightly with increased age, however no difference in %EWL was found between types of surgery or genders. Conclusion: Bariatric surgery is effective and may be justified in patients with super morbid obesity, including the elderly population. However, there is a great need for larger, longitudinal studies. This would be made possible by hospitals employing more regular and systematic reporting of data, and encouragement of patients to follow up.