Cross-sectional review of effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at 1, 3, and 5 years

Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy evolved as a primary bariatric procedure without data on longer term outcomes. Our objective was to measure the weight changes and quality of life after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at a university hospital.

Methods: The patients scheduled follow-up visits for clinical measurements, blood sampling, and form completion, including the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short-form questionnaire, the Impact of Weight on the Quality of Life-Lite questionnaire, and Beck depression inventory. Comparisons were performed among patients with a follow-up of 1, 3, and 5 years after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Results: A total of 77 patients (35 at 1, 19 at 3, and 23 at 5 yr) were similar in gender (70.1% women), percentage of body fat, and body mass index by analysis of variance (P = .12; 1 versus 3 yr, P = .04). The 5-year group was older (P = .07). The 3 groups were different in the percentage of excess body mass index loss (P = .04). Differences in the Beck depression inventory were not significant by analysis of variance but were for 1 year versus 5 years (P = .04). For the Impact of Weight on the Quality of Life-Lite total scores, the difference was significant (P = .06; 1 versus 5 yr, P = .027; and public distress subscore at 1 and 5 yr, P = .04). The differences in the other domains were not significant. For the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short-form, differences in the physical differences domain was significant (P = .001). The differences in physical function, social function, general health, vitality, body pain, and role physical were significant. The differences in mental health and role emotional were not. The differences in the Beck depression inventory scores were not significant using analysis of variance but were between the 1-year and 5-year scores (P = .04).

Conclusion: Patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy had a similar body mass index at 1, 3, and 5 years. However, the percentage of excess body mass index loss was different. No differences were found in the percentage of body fat. The health-related quality of life scores resembled community norms, although the physical health differences in the 3 groups were significant, The Beck depression inventory scores were elevated at 5 years compared with at 1 year.