Efficacy of High-dose Liraglutide 3.0 mg in Patients with Poor Response to Bariatric Surgery: Real-world Experience and Updated Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Poor response to bariatric surgery, characterized by insufficient weight loss (IWL) or weight regain (WR), poses a significant challenge in obesity treatment. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of liraglutide in addressing this issue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective, multicenter cohort study investigated the impact of liraglutide 3 mg on weight loss in adults with suboptimal responses or weight regain after bariatric surgery (BS). Additionally, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted for a comprehensive evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 119 patients (mean age 41.03 ± 11.2 years, 71.4% female) who experienced IWL or WR after BS received pharmacologic therapy with liraglutide 3 mg. Mean percent weight loss in the entire cohort was 5.6 ± 2.6% at 12 weeks and 9.3 ± 3.6% at 24 weeks with a significant reduction in waist circumference (p < 0.0001). No serious side effects were reported. A meta-analysis, utilizing the fixed effect model with the metafor package in R, included 6 and 5 papers for the change in body weight and BMI after liraglutide treatment, respectively. The analysis demonstrated a considerable reduction in body weight (7.9; CI - 10.4; - 5.4, p < 0.0001) and BMI (3.09; CI 3.89; - 2.28, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Liraglutide 3 mg emerges as a viable option for significant weight loss in patients experiencing IWL or WR after BS. Its inclusion in a multimodal, sequential obesity treatment approach proves promising.

[Laparoscopic incisional hernia repair: our experience and review of the literature]. / La riparazione laparoscopica del laparocele. Revisione della letteratura e nostra esperienza.

Incisional hernia after laparotomy closure continues to be an important postoperative complication. Historically, the best results have been obtained with the open Rives-Stoppa technique. This approach is done by fixing a prosthetic mesh behind the posterior fascia of the rectus muscle. The laparoscopic approach allows similar mesh placement with minimal dissection. In this study, we review the scientific literature and report our experience, describing the clinical outcome of patients who have undergone laparoscopic repair of ventral hernias. After describing the standard technique of laparoscopic insertion of a prosthesis, we reviewed the records of all our patients who underwent such a procedure from March 2004 to January 2006. A laparoscopic approach was attempted in all patients. The patients' demographic characteristics, operative details and outcomes were recorded. Of 55 patients scheduled to undergo laparoscopic incisional herniorrhaphy, conversion to an open procedure was necessary in 2/55 (3.6%). All the remaining 53 patients (31 men and 22 women; mean age 51.8 years) underwent laparoscopic repair of ventral hernias. The mean fascial defect size was 98.3 cm (range: 5-200 cm). In 52/53 patients (98%) a dual mesh was used. 40% of patients (22/53) had multiple wall defects. The mean operative time was 90 minutes (range: 32-190 minutes). The average hospital stay was 2.6 days (range: 1-16 days). 50/53 patients (94.3%) tolerated an oral diet 24 hours after the operation. 49/53 (92.4%) returned to normal working activity within two weeks. The percentage of complications amounted to 13% (7/55), with 5.6% (5/53) minor and 3.7% (2/55) major complications. In one patient it was necessary to remove the mesh 6 months after surgery because of pain. The recurrence rate of 5.6% confirms the permanence of the repair. The follow-up was 12 months for 44/53 patients and 6 months for 9/53 patients. The procedure for incisional hernia repair used in our study may be performed safely with low complication and recurrence rates and should be considered for the majority of incisional hernia repairs requiring a mesh prosthesis.