TOPLINE: 

Among adults with severe obesity, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy was associated with substantial weight loss, improved quality of life (QoL), and high patient satisfaction at 10 years.

METHODOLOGY: 

• Although laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy shows substantial short-term benefits, evidence on outcomes beyond 5 years, particularly regarding QoL and patient satisfaction, is limited.
• Researchers conducted a prospective observational study at a single tertiary center in Israel to evaluate 10-year outcomes of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in adults with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with obesity-related comorbidities) who underwent first-time primary laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy without major perioperative complications.
• They included 300 patients, of whom 193 (mean age, 42.86 years; 67.36% women) completed 10-year follow-up.
• Anthropometric measures (weight, BMI, and percentage of excess weight loss), comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and depression), and self-reported behavioral changes (including physical activity and dietary adherence) were analyzed at baseline, up to 12 months postoperatively, and annually thereafter for up to 10 years.
• QoL was measured using a validated instrument covering six domains: self-esteem, physical activity, social functioning, work satisfaction, sexual well-being, and eating behavior.

TAKEAWAY: 

• The mean BMI decreased from 42.54 at baseline to 29.15 at 1 year (P < .001). Weight regain began after 3 years, reaching a mean of 31.89 at 10 years — a 9.4% rise; however, 51.5% of patients maintained more than 25% excess weight loss at 10 years.
• At 10 years, 86.1% of patients reported improvements in QoL, with 55.2% describing their outcomes as excellent. Although perceived QoL declined significantly over time, most patients still reported substantial benefits at 10-year follow-up. The greatest improvements were seen in self-esteem, physical activity, and social engagement.
• Overall, 59.3% of patients participated in structured physical activity at 10 years, of whom 38.1% engaged in activities of adequate intensity and 25.3% exercised at least three times per week; however, 40.7% remained sedentary.
• Patient satisfaction with surgery remained high at 10 years, with 85.6% of patients expressing satisfaction; among these, 72.2% rated their outcomes as very satisfactory or excellent. Only 6.7% reported being in worse condition than before surgery, mainly due to insufficient weight loss.

IN PRACTICE: 

“This study reaffirms the effectiveness of [laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy] in achieving substantial and durable weight loss, enhancing quality of life, and promoting long-term adoption of healthier lifestyle behaviors,” the authors wrote. “These findings highlight the critical importance of comprehensive preoperative counseling, multidisciplinary postoperative care, and structured long-term follow-up to maximize outcomes and address the behavioral and psychosocial challenges that might arise over time.”

SOURCE: 

This study, led by Sergio Susmallian, Assuta Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel, was published online in Obesity Surgery.

LIMITATIONS: 

The study had a 35% attrition rate, which may have introduced selection bias. The single-center design may limit the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, patients with major postoperative complications were not included. 

DISCLOSURES: 

The authors declared no competing interests.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.