Metabolic outcomes in the first year after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a high-volume single-center experience

- OBJECTIVE: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is the most preferred bariatric surgical procedure worldwide. LSG, a restrictive surgical method, has also proven to be a good metabolic surgery option. In this study, we examined weight loss and changes in metabolic parameters in our patients in the first year after LSG. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retro-spective cohort study, preoperative and postop-erative first-year body mass index (BMI) chang-es, biochemical and hormonal analysis results, and excess weight loss (EWL) rates of 1,137 pa-tients who underwent LSG were evaluated. RESULTS: The median age of patients un-dergoing LSG was 39 years, and 943 (82.9%) of the patients were female while 194 (17.1%) were male. Preoperative BMI was 45.91 kg/m2 and postoperative first-year BMI was 28.98 kg/m2 (p<0.01). Fasting blood glucose, alanine amino-transferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and HbA1c per-centage levels were significantly low in the post-operative first year (p<0.001). EWL was 81.0% (68.4-97.9%) and sufficient weight loss (SWL; >= 50% of EWL) was 92.2% in the postoperative first year. Median age, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, preoperative fasting plas-ma glucose levels, and preoperative triglyceride levels were higher in the SWL group than they were in the group with insufficient weight loss (EWL of <50%). Factors such as male sex, body weight, and triglyceride levels were positively correlated with adequate weight loss, while BMI and total cholesterol levels were negatively cor-related with adequate weight loss. Patients with BMI of >46.87 kg/m2 had a higher rate of ade-quate weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: LSG is a bariatric surgical procedure providing satisfactory weight loss and metabolic outcomes in the short term. Weight loss success in the first year after LSG was higher among patients with a baseline BMI of 46 kg/m2.