Effects of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) on weight loss and biomarker parameters in morbidly obese patients: a 12-month follow-up

Abstract

Background: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is suggested as the gold standard of the surgical techniques for morbid obesity treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the weight loss and biomarker parameter changes over a 1-year period following LRYGB in Iranian morbidly obese patients.

Methods: Sixty patients who had undergone LRYGB from June 2006 to August 2008 were followed up. Complication rates and changes in anthropometric indices, metabolic parameters, and obesity-related comorbidities were evaluated.

Results: During the mean follow-up duration of 27.2 ± 9.4 months, the mean weight reduced from 128.8 ± 20.4 to 86.9 ± 12.7 kg with excess weight loss (%EWL) of 63.8 ± 15.6%. The male young-adolescent patients showed more weight loss than females. Biochemical parameter changes were reduction of fasting blood sugar by 19%, total cholesterol by 17%, triglyceride by 30%, low-density lipoprotein by 19%, aspartate aminotransferase by 44%, alanine aminotransferase by 52%, alkaline phosphatase by 33%, and uric acid by 19%, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels increased by 22%. HDL level change was the only biomarker factor showing correlation with age (P = 0.005, r = -0.353, R(2) = 0.125). Obesity comorbidities were resolved considerably. There were two cases of surgical complications and no case of mortality.

Conclusion: LRYGB appears to be a safe and effective procedure with a low complication rate in Iranian morbidly obese patients. It results in weight loss, reduction in obesity comorbidities, increasing HDL, and decreasing other measured plasma biochemical parameters. Based on our results, we suggest that LRYGB would benefit young male morbidly obese patients more than others.