Lee D Ying1, Andrew J Duffy2, Kurt E Roberts2, Saber Ghiassi2, Matthew O Hubbard2, Geoffrey S Nadzam3. 1. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. 2. Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. 3. Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. Electronic address: Geoffrey.Nadzam@yale.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined whether preoperative period length, as defined by the amount of time from enrollment in a surgical weight loss program to the day of surgery, affects postoperative weight loss. OBJECTIVES: To identify associations between preoperative period length and postoperative weight loss. SETTING: Single surgeon at an academic medical center in the United States. METHODS: Retrospective chart review in 109 consecutive patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy from 2014-2015. RESULTS: When patients were grouped based on postoperative percentage of total weight loss, greater weight loss was associated with shorter preoperative wait time. During the preoperative period, 72.2% of our patients achieved a net weight loss, but 34.6% had gained net weight until they started the preoperative "liver-shrinking" diet; 71.4±8.3% of the total preoperative weight loss occurred after initiating the preoperative diet, which accounted for approximately 15% of the whole preoperative period length. There was no correlation between the length of the preoperative diet and preoperative weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Shorter preoperative periods and earlier initiation of liver reduction diets may increase postoperative weight loss, although ultimately there may be a limit to the weight loss that patients can achieve while adhering to highly restrictive lifestyle modifications.
BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined whether preoperative period length, as defined by the amount of time from enrollment in a surgical weight loss program to the day of surgery, affects postoperative weight loss. OBJECTIVES: To identify associations between preoperative period length and postoperative weight loss. SETTING: Single surgeon at an academic medical center in the United States. METHODS: Retrospective chart review in 109 consecutive patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy from 2014-2015. RESULTS: When patients were grouped based on postoperative percentage of total weight loss, greater weight loss was associated with shorter preoperative wait time. During the preoperative period, 72.2% of our patients achieved a net weight loss, but 34.6% had gained net weight until they started the preoperative "liver-shrinking" diet; 71.4±8.3% of the total preoperative weight loss occurred after initiating the preoperative diet, which accounted for approximately 15% of the whole preoperative period length. There was no correlation between the length of the preoperative diet and preoperative weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Shorter preoperative periods and earlier initiation of liver reduction diets may increase postoperative weight loss, although ultimately there may be a limit to the weight loss that patients can achieve while adhering to highly restrictive lifestyle modifications.