Study results evidence long-term effectiveness of gastric bypass surgery

Editor's Note

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery kept type 2 diabetes in remission for up to 15 years and maintained most of the weight loss for up to 20 years in a long-term study, according to a June 12 report in SciTech Daily.

Presented the same day at The American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Scientific Meeting, the study analyzed 2,045 patients who underwent the surgery at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania between 2001 and 2008, the outlet reports. Key findings include:

• Of the 677 patients with pre-operative diabetes, remission rates were 54% at three years but dropped to 38% after 15 years. Remission was lower in insulin-dependent patients.
• Peak weight loss of 31.8% was achieved after 18 months, stabilizing at 23% from 10 to 20 years.
• The overall 15-year mortality rate was 13.3%, higher (37.4%) among patients with diabetes over 60.
• No deaths were related to the surgical procedure itself.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates indicate that obesity, which can cause health conditions ranging from cardiovascular disease to cancer, affects 42.4% of Americans, SciTech Daily reports. However, ASMBS reports that only 1% of those who meet BMI criteria for bariatric surgery underwent the procedure in 2022. Amid the proliferation of other forms of treatment, lead authors say this demonstration of long-term effectiveness is important for ensuring patients receive the right interventions at the right time.