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. 2021 Jan;29(1):24-28.
doi: 10.1002/oby.23026. Epub 2020 Dec 3.

COVID-19 and its Severity in Bariatric Surgery-Operated Patients

Pierre Bel Lassen  1   2 , Christine Poitou  1   2 , Laurent Genser  2   3 , Florence Marchelli  1   2 , Judith Aron-Wisnewsky  1   2 , Cécile Ciangura  1 , Flavien Jacques  2 , Pauline Moreau  1 ; NutriOmics investigators; Jean-Michel Oppert  1 , Karine Clément  1   2
Affiliations

COVID-19 and its Severity in Bariatric Surgery-Operated Patients

Pierre Bel Lassen et al. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: Obesity is a major risk factor for severe forms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but little is known about the post-bariatric surgery (BS) setting. The prevalence of likely COVID-19 and its risk factors in patients followed up after BS was assessed.

Methods: A total of 738 patients who underwent BS and were followed up at a university medical center were surveyed. A retrospective comparison of characteristics at baseline, 1 year after BS, and at the time of lockdown was performed between patients with COVID-19-likely events (CL) based on a combination of reported symptoms and those for whom COVID-19 was unlikely.

Results: CL occurred in 62 (8.4%) patients, among whom 4 (6.4%) had a severe form requiring hospitalization and 1 (1.6%) died. The CL group had a higher proportion of persistent type 2 diabetes (T2D) at last follow-up (36.2% vs. 20.3%, P = 0.01). BMI at the time of lockdown was lower in the CL group (30.2 ± 5.1 vs. 32.8 ± 6.5 kg/m2 ; P < 0.01) with higher percent weight loss since BS in the CL group. Severe forms of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization were associated with persistent T2D at the last follow-up visit.

Conclusions: In BS patients, CL were associated with persistent T2D and lower BMI.

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References

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