Bariatric surgery: pre-operative comorbidities, postoperative results, and complications: a single-center retrospective cohort analysis​

Background:

Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for weight loss and also promotes remission of preoperative metabolic comorbidities.

Aims:

The aim of this study was to analyze preoperative comorbidities, evaluate postoperative outcomes, and assess complications 6 months after bariatric surgery in a hospital in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted with patients who underwent bariatric surgery between 2021 and 2022 and were followed up for a period of 6 months after the procedure.

Results:

There was a predominance of female patients (81.6%), with a mean age of 38.7 years. The preoperative prevalence of hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis was 36.7, 22.4, 22.4, and 32.7%, respectively. The postoperative remission rates for these conditions were 55, 64, 70, and 69%, respectively. Except for diabetes, no significant differences were found between the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) groups. There was a significant reduction in weight (p<0.01) and body mass index (BMI) (p<0.01), with no statistical differences between the RYGB and SG groups. Postoperative complications occurred in 73.5% of patients, including anemia, vitamin deficiencies, cholelithiasis, dumping syndrome, anastomotic ulcer, chronic diarrhea, and anastomotic stricture.

Conclusions:

The study described the preoperative comorbidity profile, postoperative outcomes, and complications with findings consistent with existing literature, except for underreporting dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis. No statistical difference was observed between the surgical techniques performed.