Assessment of the Body Composition and the Loss of Fat-Free Mass through Bioelectric Impedance Analysis in Patients Who Underwent Open Gastric Bypass

Background. Bariatric surgery is considered an effective option for the management of morbid obesity. The incidence of obesity has been gradually increasing all over the world reaching epidemic proportions in some regions of the world. Obesity can cause a reduction of up to 22% in the life expectancy of morbidly obese patients.Objective. The objective of this paper is to assess the weight loss associated with the first 6 months after bariatric surgery using bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) for the evaluation of fat mass and fat-free mass.Method. A total of 36 morbidly obese patients were subjected to open gastric bypass surgery. The patients weight was monitored before and after the procedure using the bioelectric impedance analysis.Results. Bariatric surgery resulted in an average percentage of weight loss of 28.6% (40 kg) as determined 6 months after the procedure was performed. Analysis of the different components of body weight indicated an undesirable loss of fat-free mass along with the reduction of total body weight.Conclusion. Open gastric bypass induced a significant loss of total weight and loss of fat-free mass in patients six months after the surgery. The use of bioelectric impedance analysis resulted in an appropriate estimation of the total weight components in individuals subjected to bariatric surgery allowing a more real analysis of the variation of weight after the surgery.

Factors Predictive of Venous Thromboembolism in Bariatric Surgery

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of patient characteristics, payer type, comorbidities, and surgical techniques on development of VTE in bariatric surgery. Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2006 to 2008, clinical data of 304,515 morbidly obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery were examined. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify factors predictive of VTE. The overall rate of in-hospital VTE was 0.17 per cent, with the highest rate of VTE observed in open gastric bypass (0.45%). The VTE rate was significantly lower in laparoscopic compared with open gastric bypass (0.13% vs 0.45%, respectively, P < 0.01) and in nongastric bypass compared with gastric bypass procedures (0.06% vs 0.21%, respectively, P < 0.01). Alcohol abuse [odds ratio (OR): 8.7], open operation (OR: 2.5), gastric bypass procedures (OR: 2.4), renal failure (OR: 2.3), congestive heart failure (OR: 2.0), male gender (OR: 1.5), and chronic lung disease (OR: 1.4) were associated with a higher rate of VTE. This study identified several significant risk factors for development of VTE in bariatric surgery. To minimize the risk of VTE, surgeons may consider these factors in selection of appropriate prophylaxis and bariatric surgical options.