Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2013:2013:740312.
doi: 10.1155/2013/740312. Epub 2013 Jun 12.

A prior history of substance abuse in veterans undergoing bariatric surgery

Maureen Tedesco  1 , William Q Hua, Jessica A Lohnberg, Nina Bellatorre, Dan Eisenberg
Affiliations
Comparative Study

A prior history of substance abuse in veterans undergoing bariatric surgery

Maureen Tedesco et al. J Obes. 2013.

Abstract

Background: The rates of obesity and substance abuse are high among US veterans.

Objective: To examine weight loss and substance abuse rates following bariatric surgery in veterans with a history of substance abuse (SA).

Methods: A prospective database of consecutive bariatric operations was reviewed. Data for SA patients were compared to patients without a substance abuse history (NA). Behavioral medicine staff followed patients throughout the pre- and postoperative courses.

Results: Of 205 bariatric surgery patients, there were 74 (36.1%) SA patients. The mean preoperative body mass index (BMI) was 46.2 ± 8.1 kg/m², and percent excess weight loss at 12 months was 71.8%, 58.0%, and 33.5% for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and laparoscopic gastric banding, respectively, not significantly different than the NA group (P = 0.15, 0.75, 0.96). Postoperative substance abuse in SA and NA patients was 8.1% and 1.5%, respectively (P = 0.234).

Conclusion: A prior history of substance abuse is common in veterans undergoing bariatric surgery; weight loss results are comparable to the general veteran bariatric cohort. Rates of substance abuse are low postoperatively, but higher in patients without a prior history of substance abuse. Close multidisciplinary followup throughout the postoperative course is likely to be integral to the patient's success.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percent excess weight loss (%EWL) in each group, after gastric banding (LGB). SA: substance abuse cohort; NA: no substance abuse cohort.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percent excess weight loss (%EWL) in each group, after sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). SA: substance abuse cohort; NA: no substance abuse cohort.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Percent excess weight loss (%EWL) in each group, after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). SA: substance abuse cohort; NA: no substance abuse cohort.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Das SR, Kinsinger LS, Yancy WS, Jr., et al. Obesity prevalence among veterans at Veterans Affairs medical facilities. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2005;28(3):291–294. - PubMed
    1. Park SY, Zhu K, Potter JF, Kolonel LN. Health-related characteristics and dietary intakes of male veterans and non-veterans in the Multiethnic Cohort Study (US) Journal of Military and Veterans' Health. 2011;19:4–9. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Safadi BY, Kieran JA, Hall RG, et al. Introducing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass at a Veterans Affairs medical facility. American Journal of Surgery. 2004;188(5):606–610. - PubMed
    1. Hauser DL, Titchner RL, Wilson MA, Eid GM. Long-term outcomes of laparoscopic roux-en-Y gastric bypass in US veterans. Obesity Surgery. 2010;20(3):283–289. - PubMed
    1. Chwastiak LA, Rosenheck RA, Desai R, Kazis LE. Association of psychiatric illness and all-cause mortality in the national department of veterans affairs health care system. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2010;72(8):817–822. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types