Women's Reasons to Seek Bariatric Surgery and Their Expectations on the Surgery Outcome - a Multicenter Study from Five European Countries

Purpose Understanding patients' reasons for having bariatric surgery and their expectation on surgery outcomes is important to provide the best clinical practice and reduce unrealistic expectations. It is unknown if reasons and expectations differ between countries. We aimed to investigate the reasons for seeking bariatric surgery and expectations of surgical outcomes among patients in five European countries. Methods In total, 250 women accepted for bariatric surgery were recruited: 50 women each from Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Participants ranked 14 reasons for seeking surgery, and reported the three primary reasons. They also reported expectations on weight loss and impact of surgery vs. lifestyle on weight loss outcomes. Results Mean age and body mass index were 42.9 +/- 11.5 years and 45.1 +/- 6.2 kg/m(2), respectively. Weight loss and improved co-morbidity were ranked as the most important reasons. Participants expected to lose between 70.8 and 94.3% of their excessive weight. The expected impact of surgery as a driver of weight loss was higher in Germany and the Netherlands compared to in Finland, Norway, and Sweden where participants expected lifestyle changes to also have an impact. Conclusion Weight loss and improved co-morbidities were the main reasons for undergoing bariatric surgery. Expectations on weight loss were generally very high, but expectations of surgery vs. lifestyle as the main driver of weight loss differed between countries. While some patients understand the importance of lifestyle change and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle after surgery in order to obtain a successful weight loss, other may need additional counselling.Peer reviewe

Morbidly Obese Patients—Who Undergoes Bariatric Surgery?

Treatment seeking patients with severe obesity might choose between specialized medical treatment and surgical treatment. Knowledge of what distinguishes patients that choose either treatment is sparse, with greater understanding also needed on what consequences this choice has for the prevalence, remission and new onset of comorbidities, as well as for the bioavailability of drugs. This has prompted the studies in Gunn Signe Jakobsen and her coauthors work on treatment seeking patients with severe obesity focusing on the prevalence of comorbidities, changes in the use of drugs for hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia, as well as changes in bioavailability of atorvastatin. The methods used in the studies in the thesis; "Bariatric surgery and specialized medical treatment for severe obesity Impact on cardiovascular risk factors and postsurgical pharmacokinetics of atorvastatin "; are a cross-sectional study, a registry based cohort study and a prospective pharmacokinetic study. The results of the studies presented were: - The type and number of comorbidities associated with morbid obesity did not necessarily impact upon choice of treatment, but there was an increased odds for choosing surgery for patients with higher BMI, younger age and earlier onset of obesity. - Patients opting for bariatric surgery as opposed to specialized medical treatment had higher odds of experiencing remission, and significantly lower odds for new-onset of drug treated hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia. Bariatric surgery seemed to not only induce remission but was also effective in preventing disease. - The bioavailability of atorvastatin was increased after bariatric surgery, with a normalization in the long term. This knowledge can give a better understanding of the population of patients seeking treatment for severe obesity and should be included in the shared decision process when helping the patient identify their preferences for treatment of severe obesity in the context of their values

Single-centre, triple-blinded, randomised, 1-year, parallel-group, superiority study to compare the effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy on remission of type 2 diabetes and β-cell function in subjects with morbid obesity: a protocol for the Obesity surgery in Tønsberg (Oseberg) study

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Employment Is Associated with the Health-Related Quality of Life of Morbidly Obese Persons

Published version of an article in the journal: Obesity Surgery. The original publication is available at Springerlink. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11695-010-0289-6. Open AccessBackground  We aimed to investigate whether employment status was associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population of morbidly obese subjects. Methods  A total of 143 treatment-seeking morbidly obese patients completed the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Obesity and Weight-Loss Quality of Life (OWLQOL) questionnaires. The former (SF-36) is a generic measure of physical and mental health status and the latter (OWLQOL) an obesity-specific measure of emotional status. Multiple linear regression analyses included various measures of the HRQoL as dependent variables and employment status, education, marital status, gender, age, body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and treatment choice as independent variables. Results  The patients (74% women, 56% employed) had a mean (SD, range) age of 44 (11, 19–66) years and a mean BMI of 44.3 (5.4) kg/m2. The employed patients reported significantly higher HRQoL scores within all eight subscales of SF-36, while the OWLQOL scores were comparable between the two groups. Multiple linear regression confirmed that employment was a strong independent predictor of HRQoL according to the SF-36. Based on part correlation coefficients, employment explained 16% of the variation in the physical and 9% in the mental component summaries of SF-36, while gender explained 22% of the variation in the OWLQOL scores. Conclusion  Employment is associated with the physical and mental HRQoL of morbidly obese subjects, but is not associated with the emotional aspects of quality of life

A Laparoscopic Approach in Gastro-Oesophageal Surgery : Experimental and Epidemiological Studies

The extension of laparoscopic procedures into the chest may induce specific pathophysiologic effects. In pigs, we have demonstrated how devastating a combined thoraco-laparoscopic approach can be for gas exchange. Furthermore, the transmission of elevated pressure intra-cranially is a potential danger. The application of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) was found to improve gas exchange and, more importantly, hypoxemia could be avoided. The application of PEEP did not increase intra-cranial pressure further; nor did it adversely affect cerebral circulation. Even before the introduction of the laparoscopic technique, there was a substantial increase in the annual number of antireflux procedures. Therefore, the threefold increase of the incidence of antireflux surgery recorded during the past decade cannot solely be explained by the introduction of minimal access surgery. However, a clear shift in the preferred methodology took place. This change was not scientifically supported at the time of the transition and, surprisingly, it is still not supported today. In comparison with open surgery, patients do not seem to derive significant long-term benefits from having the antireflux procedure done laparoscopically. As was demonstrated, laparoscopy might even be an inferior approach in some patients. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that laparoscopy can yield equally good results as open surgery despite our failure to confirm that in our studies. Determination of the effectiveness of minimal access surgery in the treatment of GORD is critical, before minimal access techniques become the standard for antireflux surgery in the community

Gastric bypass surgery has a weight-loss independent effect on post-challenge serum glucose levels

Background Gastric bypass surgery seems to have an effect on glucose metabolism beyond what is mediated through weight reduction. The magnitude of this effect on fasting and post-challenge glucose levels remains unknown. Results Morbidly obese subjects without known diabetes performed a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test before and after either gastric bypass surgery (n = 64) or an intensive lifestyle intervention programme (n = 55), ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00273104. The age-adjusted effects of the therapeutic procedures and percentage weight change on fasting and 2-h glucose levels at 1 year were explored using multiple linear regression analysis. Mean (SD) serum fasting and 2-h glucose levels at baseline did not differ between the surgery and lifestyle groups. Weight-loss after surgical treatment and lifestyle intervention was 30 (8) and 9 (10) % (p < 0.001). At 1 year, fasting and 2-h glucose levels were significantly lower in the surgery group than in the lifestyle group, 4.7 (0.4) versus 5.4 (0.7) mmol/l and 3.4 (0.8) versus 6.0 (2.4) mmol/l, respectively (both p < 0.001). Gastric bypass and weight-loss had both independent glucose-lowering effects on 2-h glucose levels [B (95 % CI) 1.4 (0.6–2.3) mmol/l and 0.4 (0.1–0.7) mmol/l per 10 % weight-loss, respectively]. Fasting glucose levels were determined by weight change [0.2 (0.1–0.3) mmol/l per 10 % weight-loss] and not by type of treatment. Conclusions Gastric bypass surgery has a clinically relevant glucose-lowering effect on post-challenge glucose levels which is seemingly not mediated through weight-loss alone

Patient complaints following bariatric surgery 2012-18

BAKGRUNN Vi undersøkte saker fremmet for Norsk pasientskadeerstatning (NPE) etter vektreduserende kirurgi, inkludert bakgrunnen for klagen, andel pasienter som fikk medhold, og kjennetegn ved saker der klager fikk medhold. MATERIALE OG METODE Samtlige klagesaker knyttet til vektreduserende kirurgisk behandling i perioden 2012–18 ble gjennomgått og kategorisert med henblikk på symptomer, funn og hendelser med relevans for utfallet av klagesaken. Anonyme resyméer fra de sakkyndiges uttalelser ble gjennomgått og kategorisert etter årstall for vedtak, kjønn, alder, grunnlag for medhold eller avslag på erstatning samt hvorvidt behandlingen var utført i offentlig eller privat regi. RESULTATER Det ble gitt medhold i 44 (26 %) av totalt 171 søknader om pasientskadeerstatning. Disse søknadene kom fra 25 pasienter som var operert i det offentlige (19 % medhold) og 19 pasienter operert i det private helsevesenet (51 % medhold). Den hyppigste enkeltårsaken til medhold (n = 18) var manglende indikasjon for vektreduserende operasjon. FORTOLKNING Manglende indikasjon utløste medhold i flere klagesaker etter vektreduserende kirurgi enn kirurgtekniske feil. Riktig pasientutvelgelse, god preoperativ forberedelse, god informasjon og samvalg er viktig for best mulig resultat av vektreduserende kirurgi. Et tverrfaglig team som følger pasientene over tid, kan bidra til å kvalitetssikre hele behandlingskjeden

Health related quality of life after gastric bypass or intensive lifestyle intervention: a controlled clinical study

Background: There is little robust evidence relating to changes in health related quality of life (HRQL) in morbidly obese patients following a multidisciplinary non-surgical weight loss program or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB). The aim of the present study was to describe and compare changes in five dimensions of HRQL in morbidly obese subjects. In addition, we wanted to assess the clinical relevance of the changes in HRQL between and within these two groups after one year. We hypothesized that RYGB would be associated with larger improvements in HRQL than a part residential intensive lifestyle-intervention program (ILI) with morbidly obese subjects.Methods: A total of 139 morbidly obese patients chose treatment with RYGB (n=76) or ILI (n=63). The ILI comprised four stays (seven weeks) at a specialized rehabilitation center over one year. The daily schedule was divided between physical activity, psychosocially-oriented interventions, and motivational approaches. No special diet or weight-loss drugs were prescribed. The participants completed three HRQL-questionnaires before treatment and 1 year thereafter. Both linear regression and ANCOVA were used to analyze differences between weight loss and treatment for five dimensions of HRQL (physical, mental, emotional, symptoms and symptom distress) controlling for baseline HRQL, age, age of onset of obesity, BMI, and physical activity. Clinical relevance was assessed by effect size (ES) where ES.80 as large. Results: The adjusted between group mean difference (95% CI) was 8.6 (4.6,12.6) points (ES=.83) for the physical dimension, 5.4 (1.5–9.3) points (ES=.50) for the mental dimension, 25.2 (15.0–35.4) points (ES=1.06) for the emotional dimension, 8.7 (1.8–15.4) points (ES=.37) for the measured symptom distress, and 2.5 for (.6,4.5) fewer symptoms (ES=.56), all in favor of RYGB. Within-group changes in HRQOL in the RYGB group were large for all dimensions of HRQL. Within the ILI group, changes in the emotional dimension, symptom reduction and symptom distress were moderate. Linear regression analyses of weight loss on HRQL change showed a standardized beta-coefficient of –.430 (p<.001) on the physical dimension, –.288 (p=.004) on the mental dimension, –.432 (p<.001) on the emotional dimension, .287 (p=.008) on number of symptoms, and .274 (p=.009) on reduction of symptom pressure. Conclusions: Morbidly obese participants undergoing RYGB and ILI had improved HRQL after 1 year. The weaker response of ILI on HRQL, compared to RYGB, may be explained by the difference in weight loss following the two treatments