Bariatric Surgery to Treat Obesity among Adults

Abstract

Background: Bariatric surgery is one of the few effective treatments for morbid obesity, yet little information about weight outcomes after surgery in this demographic are available. We determined the effectiveness of bariatric surgery in reducing weight and body mass index (BMI) in adults. Materials and Methods: Adults from 18 to 30 years old who had undertaken gastric bypass or adjustable gastric band surgery between May 2013 and November 2016 and who had complete follow-up data available were included in the present analysis. Mean weight and BMI before and one year after surgery were compared. Results: Among 35 adults, Mean BMI and weight, and z-scores and percentile transformations were all significantly lower after surgery for the entire sample (P < 0.001). Gastric bypass surgery presented significantly better weight loss outcomes for all anthropometric measures versus adjustable gastric band surgery (P < 0.05). No perioperative complications were reported. Two patients who stopped taking supplements as prescribed experienced iron-deficiency anaemia within the year following surgery. Conclusions: Our results show that bariatric surgery can markedly reduce weight among a predominantly adult patients sample, and gastric bypass procedure in particular. These findings indicate that bariatric surgery has the potential to be safe and effective in substantially reducing weight in a group of adults who are at particularly high risk for obesity-related health consequences.