A team of researchers led by Dr. Florina Corpodean of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center confirmed through a data analysis that metabolic and bariatric surgery is largely safe and effective for patients suffering from severe obesity. In the recent study ‘BMI ≥ 70: A Multi-Center Institutional Experience of the Safety and Efficacy of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Intervention’, published in Obesity Surgery: The Journal of Metabolic Surgery and Allied Careresearchers confirmed that after surgical treatment of obesity, patients in this category had an overall major postoperative complication rate of only 0.7% after 30 days, which is an acceptable surgical risk.
With more than 40 percent of the U.S. population affected by obesity, healthcare providers are more likely to see patients with a body mass index, or BMI, of more than 70 kg/m2. The researchers analyzed data from 84 overly obese patients who underwent metabolic or bariatric surgery, noting that while these patients were generally more likely to require an emergency department visit, they had few complications 30 days after surgery. .
“This study aimed to examine data from an understudied population, but we are proud to have contributed to this necessary data analysis,” said Dr. Corpodean, postdoctoral researcher and surgical researcher at Pennington Biomedical and based at the Metamor Metabolic Institute. “Patients with this level of obesity represent a growing demographic, and one that requires nuanced care. The good news is that while these patients may be considered high risk due to their BMI, bariatric and metabolic surgery remains largely safe for these patients .”
The researchers conducted an analysis of the data and assessed it for demographics, postoperative outcomes, and changes in BMI and weight. Weight loss was evaluated at different intervals: 30 days, 6 months and 1 year. They also evaluated the rates of emergency department visits, readmissions, and reoperations in the first year after surgery.
As the prevalence of obesity continues on its current trajectory, physicians, surgeons, and researchers will increasingly work with patients with a BMI above 70 kg/m2. Our analysis of the data shows that the BMI levels of these patients do not justify hesitation in performing bariatric and metabolic surgery as a treatment method to treat them. At Metamor, we see it as our mission to provide this kind of clarity, and we welcome other institutions to pursue future studies with this growing demographic.”
Dr. Philip Schauer, director of the Metamor Institute
Currently, there is no accepted maximum BMI value that is considered prohibitive for people requiring bariatric surgery, but it is generally accepted that an increased BMI translates into an increased surgical risk. The researchers’ findings indicated that patients in the demographic group show robust weight loss after their metabolic or bariatric surgery, with results lasting up to one year after surgery. Findings further revealed that although these patients exhibited high rates of emergency department visits, they had low rates of complications and reoperations within the first year after surgery.
“Tackling the most important health epidemic of our time is Pennington Biomedical’s mission, and our researchers at the Metamor Institute are achieving that mission through studies and analyzes like this,” said Dr. John Kirwan, executive director of Pennington Biomedical. “While we encourage further research, this and similar studies offer hope to those suffering the harmful health effects of obesity. Researchers, patients and surgeons can have a greater sense of confidence that metabolic surgery is safe and effective in treating obesity.” .”
The research was conducted by researchers at the Metamor Institute, located on the Pennington Biomedical campus. Founded in late 2019, the Metamor Institute is a partnership between Pennington Biomedical, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, the Office of the Governor of Louisiana, Louisiana Economic Development, LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine and the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation. The institute is uniquely focused on the treatment of obesity and diabetes. It is the first institute in the country to provide an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to the care of people suffering from obesity, diabetes and its related diseases in a single facility.
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Magazine reference:
Corpodean, F., et al. (2024) BMI ≥ 70: a multicenter institutional experience of the safety and efficacy of metabolic and bariatric surgery interventions. Obesity surgery. doi.org/10.1007/s11695-024-07419-7.