SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS POST-BARIATRIC SURGERY

A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Abstract

INTRODUCTION
This study aims to determine the percentage of patients who achieved successful weight loss at 12 months post-bariatric surgery. Successful weight loss is defined as achieving at least 50% excess weight loss (EWL) within one to two years.

METHODOLOGY
We conducted a retrospective review on patients who underwent bariatric surgery at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun Ipoh from 2015 to 2024. Patients' data were obtained from laboratory databases and medical records.

RESULT
A total of 298 patients underwent bariatric surgery between 2015 and 2024 in our center. Only 108 patients with weight recorded at month 12 post-operation were included in our analysis, with 51.8% (n = 56) receiving sleeve gastrectomy (SG), 42.6% (n = 46) Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), and 5.6% (n = 6) sleeve-plus procedure. The mean age was 41.79 years, with 81.5% females. 56.5% had hypertension, 33.6% diabetes mellitus, 38.9% obstructive sleep apnea, and 38% dyslipidaemia. The mean preoperative weight was 122.08 kg and mean BMI was 47.85 kg/m². Overall, 49.1% (n = 53) of patients achieved successful weight loss in 12 months, with percentage distribution as follows: 45.3% had RYGB, 47.2% had SG, and 7.5% had sleeve-plus procedure. At 12 months, 66.7% (n = 4) of sleeve-plus patients, 52.2% (n = 24) of RYGB patients, and 44.6% (n = 25) of SG patients had successful weight loss. However, no significant difference in success rates was observed among the three surgical procedures (p = 0.484). No other factor significantly impacted the outcome of successful weight loss.

CONCLUSION
Bariatric surgery effectively facilitates weight loss, with nearly half of patients achieving successful weight loss at 12 months. While the sleeve-plus procedure showed the highest success rate, differences among procedures were not statistically significant.