Weight Regain After Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

Introduction: Bariatric surgery is the most effective therapeutic option for morbid obesity. However, like any surgical procedure, it has complications that can occur in short, medium and long term period. Weight regain is the main long-term complication, which makes questionable the treatment proposed by this method. Objective: To study and compare weight regain over the minimum weight obtained after at least two years of post-operative period of patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Methods: This study was designed in historical cohort study with retrospective data of patients treated by the same surgeon of CITOM from 2001 to 2010. Discussion: Is a fact among surgeons that after a period of 18 to 24 months, which occurs the greatest loss of weight excess after surgery, certain weight regain may be observed in patients undergoing bariatric procedures. The factors that influence on the maintenance or regain of weight includes type of surgery performed, the values of preoperative bodymass index (BMI), presence of binge eating disorders, increasing the volume of food ingested due to pouch dilatation, occurrence of gastro-gastric fistula and adherence to multidisciplinary support. Conclusion: Weight regain is the most feared complication of bariatric surgery. The surgical approach, by laparotomy or laparoscopic techniques, as well as the use of contensor ring, seems to have no direct relation with weight regain. The longer the period after surgery, the higher the levels of weight regain, which reinforces the importance of patient adherence to the multidisciplinary team.