Study confirms bariatric surgery is safe and effective for patients with BMI over 70

A research team led by Dr. Florina Colpodine of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center confirmed through data analysis that metabolic and bariatric surgery is largely safe and effective for patients experiencing severe obesity. A recent study, “BMI ≥ 70: A Multi-Center Institutional Experience of the Safety and efficacy of Published in “Metabolic and Bariatric Surgical Interventions''. Bariatric Surgery: Journal of Metabolic Surgery and Related Careresearchers asserted that after surgically-based bariatric treatment, the overall rate of 30-day serious postoperative complications in this category of patients was low at 0.7%, representing an acceptable surgical risk.

With more than 40 percent of the U.S. population being obese, health care providers are more likely to see patients with a BMI greater than 70 kg/m2. Researchers analyzed data from 84 overly obese patients who underwent metabolic or bariatric surgery and found that although these patients were generally more likely to visit the emergency department, they had fewer complications at 30 days after surgery. It was confirmed that the incidence of

“This study aimed to examine data from an understudied population, and we are proud to have contributed to this necessary data analysis,” said Pennington Biomedical's Ph.D. Research Fellow and Surgical Research Fellow, Metamol Metabolism Research Institute. “Patients with this level of obesity are on the rise and are patients who require delicate care. The good news is that while these patients may be considered high risk due to their BMI, bariatric surgery and metabolic surgery remains largely safe for these patients.”

The researchers conducted an analysis of the data, looking at demographics, postoperative outcomes, and changes in BMI and weight. Weight loss was assessed at various intervals: 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year. They also evaluated emergency department visit rates, readmission rates, and reoperation rates during the first year after surgery.

As the obesity epidemic continues on its current trajectory, physicians, surgeons, and researchers are increasingly likely to work with patients with a BMI greater than 70 kg/m2. Our data analysis shows that the BMI level of these patients is not a reason to hesitate to perform bariatric surgery or metabolic surgery as a treatment for these patients. At Metamor, we believe it is our mission to provide this kind of clarity and welcome other institutions to pursue future research based on this expanding demographic. ”

Dr. Philipp Schauer, Director of the Metamor Institute

Although there is currently no accepted maximum BMI value that would be considered prohibitive for patients requiring bariatric surgery, it is generally accepted that increasing BMI is associated with increased surgical risk. The researchers' findings showed that patients in this demographic showed significant weight loss after metabolic or bariatric surgery, and the results persisted for one year after surgery. Furthermore, the findings showed that although these patients had higher rates of emergency department visits, they had lower rates of complications and reoperations within the first year after surgery.

“It is Pennington Biomedical's mission to address the major health epidemics of our time, and researchers at the Metamor Institute are committed to research and analysis like this,” said Dr. John Kirwan, executive director of Pennington Biomedical. We are fulfilling our mission through this.” “While we encourage further research, this study and others like it offer hope to those suffering from the negative health effects of obesity. Researchers, patients and surgeons need to know that metabolic surgery is safe. It can increase confidence that it is effective in treating obesity.” ”

The study was conducted by researchers at the Metamol Research Institute on Pennington Biomedical's campus. Founded in late 2019, the Metamol Institute is a partnership between Pennington Biomedical, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, the Louisiana Governor's Office, Louisiana Economic Development, LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation. It was done. . The institute has a unique focus on obesity and diabetes treatment. This is the first institute in the country to provide an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to caring for people suffering from obesity, diabetes, and their related diseases in one facility.