Impact of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy on Fatigue in Obese Patients

Abstract

Background: Fatigue with obesity negatively affects the motivation to lose weight and causes failure of treatment. So, obesity and fatigue are two related entities that worsen each other in a vicious circle. This study aimed to examine the changes in fatigue levels in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Methods: Preoperative and postoperative BMI, fat percentage, and obesity degree were determined based on Tanita test results, and the rates of change were calculated. The Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) was used to assess the impact of obesity on mental and physical fatigue. Results: Six months after LSG, there was a 29.7% decrease in Body Mass Index (BMI) across all patients (45.0 to 31.4, p < 0.001). Significant reductions in the percentage of body fat, obesity grade, and HgA1C were observed in both women and men and overall (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Scores on the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) for total, mental, and physical scales decreased significantly for women, men, and all participants (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). There was a weak but significant positive correlation between the percentage change in FAS total and FAS physical scale scores and the change in BMI% (p = 0.015 and 0.004; r = 0.089, 0.106, respectively). Change in obesity grade and FAS physical subscale scores negatively correlated (p = 0.029, r = 0.080). Conclusions: LSG not only leads to significant weight reduction but also improves fatigue levels in patients with obesity.