Metabolic Bariatric Surgery Across the IFSO Chapters: Key Insights on the Baseline Patient Demographics, Procedure Types, and Mortality from the Eighth IFSO Global Registry Report.

INTRODUCTION: The International Federation for Surgery for Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) Global Registry aims to provide descriptive data about the caseload and penetrance of surgery for metabolic disease and obesity in member countries. The data presented in this report represent the key findings of the eighth report of the IFSO Global Registry. METHODS: All existing Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS) registries known to IFSO were invited to contribute to the eighth report. Aggregated data was provided by each MBS registry to the team at the Australia and New Zealand Bariatric Surgery Registry (ANZBSR) and was securely stored on a Redcap™ database housed at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Data was checked for completeness and analyzed by the IFSO Global Registry Committee. Prior to the finalization of the report, all graphs were circulated to contributors and to the global registry committee of IFSO to ensure data accuracy. RESULTS: Data was received from 24 national and 2 regional registries, providing information on 502,150 procedures. The most performed primary MBS procedure was sleeve gastrectomy, whereas the most performed revisional MBS procedure was Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Asian countries reported people with lower BMI undergoing MBS along with higher rates of diabetes. Mortality was a rare event. CONCLUSION: Registries enable meaningful comparisons between countries on the demographics, characteristics, operation types and approaches, and trends in MBS procedures. Reported outcomes can be seen as flags of potential issues or relationships that could be studied in more detail in specific research studies.

The Alarming Rate of Malnutrition after Single Anastomosis Sleeve Ileal Bypass. A single Centre Experience.

BACKGROUND: Single anastomosis sleeve ileal (SASI) bypass is a modification of sleeve gastrectomy with transit bipartition (SG + TB). This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of SASI as a primary metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS). METHODS: This is a retrospective case series of 30 patients who underwent SASI bypass from January to December 2021. All patients completed at least 12 months of follow-up. RESULTS: Among the 30 patients, 93.3% were women, the mean age was 37.4 years, and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 45.6 kg/m2. The percentage of total body weight loss (TWL%) was 42.7%, the percent excess body weight loss (EWL%) was 92.7%, and the mean BMI at 12 months went from 45.6(35.2-58.4) to 25.8 kg/m2 (19.2-33.4). The obesity-associated complications remission rate was 87.5% for type 2 diabetes (T2D), 71.4% for hypertension (HTN) and 100% for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Thirteen patients (43.3%) had diarrhea, 7 (23.3%) had hypoalbuminemia, defined as serum albumin < 3 g/dl, and 6 (20%) underwent reversal of their index SASI. As for other nutritional issues, iron deficiency anemia was present in 21 patients (70%), while 19 patients (63.3%) had vitamin D, and 2(6.6%) had vitamin B12 deficiency. CONCLUSION: Despite good short-term weight loss and improvement of obesity-associated complications, SASI is accompanied by high alarming malnutrition, even in short-term follow-up. Novel MBS should be judged for their long-term effects and compared to well-tested standard operations before they are used in routine clinical practice.

Randomized Trial of Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Blood Pressure After 5 Years.

BACKGROUND: Obesity represents a major obstacle for controlling hypertension, the leading risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on hypertension control and remission. METHODS: We conducted a randomized clinical trial with subjects with obesity grade 1 or 2 plus hypertension using at least 2 medications. We excluded subjects with previous cardiovascular events and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Subjects were assigned to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) combined with medical therapy (MT) or MT alone. We reassessed the original primary outcome (reduction of at least 30% of the total antihypertensive medications while maintaining blood pressure levels <140/90 mm Hg) at 5 years. The main analysis followed the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: A total of 100 subjects were included (76% women, age 43.8 ± 9.2 years, body mass index: 36.9 ± 2.7 kg/m2). At 5 years, body mass index was 36.40 kg/m2 (95% CI: 35.28-37.52 kg/m2) for MT and 28.01 kg/m2 (95% CI: 26.95-29.08 kg/m2) for RYGB (P < 0.001). Compared with MT, RYGB promoted a significantly higher rate of number of medications reduction (80.7% vs 13.7%; relative risk: 5.91; 95% CI: 2.58-13.52; P < 0.001) and the mean number of antihypertensive medications was 2.97 (95% CI: 2.33-3.60) for MT and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.51-1.09) for RYGB (P < 0.001). The rates of hypertension remission were 2.4% vs 46.9% (relative risk: 19.66; 95% CI: 2.74-141.09; P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis considering only completed cases revealed consistent results. Interestingly, the rate of apparent resistant hypertension was lower after RYGB (0% vs 15.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery represents an effective and durable strategy to control hypertension and related polypharmacy in subjects with obesity. (GAstric bypass to Treat obEse Patients With steAdy hYpertension [GATEWAY]; NCT01784848).

Current recommendations for procedure selection in class I and II obesity developed by an expert modified Delphi consensus.

Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is widely considered the most effective option for treating obesity, a chronic, relapsing, and progressive disease. Recently, the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) issued new guidelines on the indications for MBS, which have superseded the previous 1991 National Institutes of Health guidelines. The aim of this study is to establish the first set of consensus guidelines for selecting procedures in Class I and II obesity, using an Expert Modified Delphi Method. In this study, 78 experienced bariatric surgeons from 32 countries participated in a two-round Modified Delphi consensus voting process. The threshold for consensus was set at an agreement or disagreement of ≥ 70.0% among the experts. The experts reached a consensus on 54 statements. The committee of experts reached a consensus that MBS is a cost-effective treatment option for Class II obesity and for patients with Class I obesity who have not achieved significant weight loss through non-surgical methods. MBS was also considered suitable for patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher. The committee identified intra-gastric balloon (IGB) as a treatment option for patients with class I obesity and endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) as an option for patients with class I and II obesity, as well as for patients with T2DM and a BMI of ≥ 30 kg/m2. Sleeve gastrectomy (1) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) were also recognized as viable treatment options for these patient groups. The committee also agreed that one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) is a suitable option for patients with Class II obesity and T2DM, regardless of the presence or severity of obesity-related medical problems. The recommendations for selecting procedures in Class I and II obesity, developed through an Expert Modified Delphi Consensus, suggest that the use of standard primary bariatric endoscopic (IGB, ESG) and surgical procedures (SG, RYGB, OAGB) are acceptable in these patient groups, as consensus was reached regarding these procedures. However, randomized controlled trials are still needed in Class I and II Obesity to identify the best treatment approach for these patients in the future.

Randomized trial of effect of bariatric surgery on blood pressure after 5 years

BACKGROUND: Obesity represents a major obstacle for controlling hypertension, the leading risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on hypertension control and remission. METHODS: We conducted a randomized clinical trial with subjects with obesity grade 1 or 2 plus hypertension using at least 2 medications. We excluded subjects with previous cardiovascular events and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Subjects were assigned to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) combined with medical therapy (MT) or MT alone. We reassessed the original primary outcome (reduction of at least 30% of the total antihypertensive medications while maintaining blood pressure levels <140/90 mm Hg) at 5 years. The main analysis followed the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: A total of 100 subjects were included (76% women, age 43.8 ± 9.2 years, body mass index: 36.9 ± 2.7 kg/m2). At 5 years, body mass index was 36.40 kg/m2 (95% CI: 35.28-37.52 kg/m2) for MT and 28.01 kg/m2 (95% CI: 26.95-29.08 kg/m2) for RYGB (P < 0.001). Compared with MT, RYGB promoted a significantly higher rate of number of medications reduction (80.7% vs 13.7%; relative risk: 5.91; 95% CI: 2.58-13.52; P < 0.001) and the mean number of antihypertensive medications was 2.97 (95% CI: 2.33-3.60) for MT and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.51-1.09) for RYGB (P < 0.001). The rates of hypertension remission were 2.4% vs 46.9% (relative risk: 19.66; 95% CI: 2.74-141.09; P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis considering only completed cases revealed consistent results. Interestingly, the rate of apparent resistant hypertension was lower after RYGB (0% vs 15.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery represents an effective and durable strategy to control hypertension and related polypharmacy in subjects with obesity. (GAstric bypass to Treat obEse Patients With steAdy hYpertension [GATEWAY]; NCT01784848).

Development and validation of an interpretable machine learning-based calculator for predicting 5-year weight trajectories after bariatric surgery: a multinational retrospective cohort SOPHIA study.

BACKGROUND: Weight loss trajectories after bariatric surgery vary widely between individuals, and predicting weight loss before the operation remains challenging. We aimed to develop a model using machine learning to provide individual preoperative prediction of 5-year weight loss trajectories after surgery. METHODS: In this multinational retrospective observational study we enrolled adult participants (aged ≥18 years) from ten prospective cohorts (including ABOS [NCT01129297], BAREVAL [NCT02310178], the Swedish Obese Subjects study, and a large cohort from the Dutch Obesity Clinic [Nederlandse Obesitas Kliniek]) and two randomised trials (SleevePass [NCT00793143] and SM-BOSS [NCT00356213]) in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, with a 5 year follow-up after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric band. Patients with a previous history of bariatric surgery or large delays between scheduled and actual visits were excluded. The training cohort comprised patients from two centres in France (ABOS and BAREVAL). The primary outcome was BMI at 5 years. A model was developed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to select variables and the classification and regression trees algorithm to build interpretable regression trees. The performances of the model were assessed through the median absolute deviation (MAD) and root mean squared error (RMSE) of BMI. FINDINGS: 10 231 patients from 12 centres in ten countries were included in the analysis, corresponding to 30 602 patient-years. Among participants in all 12 cohorts, 7701 (75·3%) were female, 2530 (24·7%) were male. Among 434 baseline attributes available in the training cohort, seven variables were selected: height, weight, intervention type, age, diabetes status, diabetes duration, and smoking status. At 5 years, across external testing cohorts the overall mean MAD BMI was 2·8 kg/m2 (95% CI 2·6-3·0) and mean RMSE BMI was 4·7 kg/m2 (4·4-5·0), and the mean difference between predicted and observed BMI was -0·3 kg/m2 (SD 4·7). This model is incorporated in an easy to use and interpretable web-based prediction tool to help inform clinical decision before surgery. INTERPRETATION: We developed a machine learning-based model, which is internationally validated, for predicting individual 5-year weight loss trajectories after three common bariatric interventions. FUNDING: SOPHIA Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking, supported by the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, Type 1 Diabetes Exchange, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Obesity Action Coalition; Métropole Européenne de Lille; Agence Nationale de la Recherche; Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique through the Artificial Intelligence chair Apprenf; Université de Lille Nord Europe's I-SITE EXPAND as part of the Bandits For Health project; Laboratoire d'excellence European Genomic Institute for Diabetes; Soutien aux Travaux Interdisciplinaires, Multi-établissements et Exploratoires programme by Conseil Régional Hauts-de-France (volet partenarial phase 2, project PERSO-SURG).

Microvascular complications of obesity and diabetes-Role of bariatric surgery.

Bariatric surgery in people with obesity can lead to long-term remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and a reduction in the incidence of macrovascular complications. The impact of bariatric surgery on microvascular complications is less clear. In this narrative review, we sought to evaluate the effect of bariatric surgery on microvascular complications in patients with and without diabetes. The risk of developing microvascular complications is increased in people with obesity, and this is amplified in those with T2DM. The impact of metabolic surgery on microvascular complications is limited to a subgroup analysis of studies or statistical modeling to predict the glycemia-independent effect of bariatric surgery. While bariatric surgery halts the progression of retinopathy in those with minimal retinopathy, it may worsen in those with advanced retinopathy. Bariatric surgery improves proteinuria and major renal outcomes, regardless of the severity of renal impairment. Bariatric surgery in patients with obesity with or without diabetes is associated with an improvement in neuropathic symptoms and regeneration of small nerve fibers. In conclusion, bariatric surgery is associated with an improvement in microvascular complications. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms for the favorable effect of bariatric surgery on microvascular outcomes.

How to address weight regain after bariatric surgery in an individualized way.

Bariatric surgery is the most effective obesity treatment. As a chronic and progressive disease, weight loss response to surgery will vary individually. Thus, insufficient weight loss or regain can happen after surgery, but they lack a standard definition. There are different mechanisms underlying weight regain and/or insufficient weight loss, such as genetics, maladaptive eating behaviors, and the inadequate choice of index operations, among others. Patients with weight regain or insufficient weight loss should be submitted to an individualized and comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team. This may help identify the causes and direct the appropriate treatment individually. Options for patients with insufficient weight loss and/or weight regain following bariatric surgery include repair of postoperative complications, conversion into another operation, endoscopic therapies with inconsistent outcomes, and dietary/behavioral counseling. Revision and conversion surgeries have higher complication rates than primary operations. Although there is no standard pharmacological regimen for that indication, the new agents seem efficient and safe to promote the loss of the regained weight and even be adjunctive to selected patients before they reach the plateau. This review aims to summarize the knowledge of the best approach for patients with weight regain/insufficient weight loss and suggests an algorithm to customize the approach and therapeutic options after bariatric surgery.

Recent advances in the treatment of patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease.

Obesity is a chronic disease characterised by excess adiposity, which impairs health. The high prevalence of obesity raises the risk of long-term medical complications including type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Several studies have focused on patients with obesity, type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease due to the increased prevalence of diabetic kidney disease. Several randomized controlled trials on sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 analogues, and bariatric surgery in diabetic kidney disease showed renoprotective effects. However, further research is critical to address the treatment of patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease to lessen morbidity.Key messageObesity is a driver of chronic kidney disease, and type 2 diabetes, along with obesity, accelerates chronic kidney disease.Several randomized controlled trials on sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 analogues, and bariatric surgery in diabetic kidney disease demonstrate the improvement of renal outcomes.There is a need to address the treatment of patients with obesity and CKD to lessen morbidity.

Innovative Bariatric Procedures and Ethics in Bariatric Surgery: the IFSO Position Statement.

With the rise in obesity and bariatric procedures worldwide, there has been a surge in new and innovative procedures that has been increasingly offered to patients. In this position statement, IFSO highlights the importance of surgical ethics in innovation and when offering new procedures. Furthermore, the task force reviewed the current literature to describe which procedures can be offered as mainstream outside research protocols versus those that are still investigational and need further data.