Poster Presentation ESA-SRB-ANZOS 2025 in conjunction with ENSA

The impact of pre-operative weight loss on 12-month post-bariatric surgery weight outcomes (129196)

Ganindu Abeysinghe 1 , Emma Hartley 2 , Kathy Grudzinskas 2 , Pamela Acosta 1 , Richard Yang 2 , Lisa Sengul 2 , Nick Kormas 2 , Milan Piya 1 2
  1. School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
  2. South Western Sydney Metabolic Rehabilitation and Bariatric Program, Campbeltown and Camden Hospitals, NSW, Australia

Aim:

People attending publicly funded metabolic and bariatric programs often have severe and complex obesity with multiple physical and mental health complications. The aim of this study was to examine whether weight loss achieved before bariatric surgery had an impact on weight loss 12 months after bariatric surgery.

Methods:


All patients (n=40) who underwent bariatric surgery (97% laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy) at a single publicly funded metabolic and bariatric program in NSW between 2019 and 2022 were included. Clinical and anthropometric parameters were recorded at the commencement of the program (baseline), immediately pre-operatively, and at 12 months post-operatively. All patients received multidisciplinary weight management in the pre-operative and post-operative phases.

Results:

Of the overall cohort (n=40), 75% were female, and at baseline, the mean age participants was 42.7±11.2 years (range 23 to 66 years), weight 149.1±20.6kg, BMI 55.0±7.7kg/m² with 60.7% having type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The mean duration from baseline to surgery was 28 months (range15-55 months) and weight reduced to 138.5±22.7kg pre-operatively, with 8.6±5.1% body weight loss (12.7±8.1 Kg; p<0.001).  At 12 months post‑operatively, mean weight had decreased to 101.5±19.3 kg (p<0.001) and BMI to 36.8±17.6 kg/m² (p<0.001), with total weight loss from baseline being 31.6±11.0% (47.6±18.9 kg; p<0.001). Pre-operative weight loss was 12.7±8.1kg compared to post-operative weight loss 34.9±19.9 kg (p<0.001). Correlation analysis found no significant association between pre-operative weight loss and total 12-month weight loss (r=0.093, p=0.623).

Conclusion:

Pre-operative weight loss was achieved across the cohort in the weight management program. However, there was a significant wait for people joining the program to access bariatric surgery. While there is often a need for assessment and management of physical and mental health complications, pre-operative weight loss itself did not appear to be a predictor of weight loss following bariatric surgery at 12 months.