Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a type of weight loss surgery, kept type 2 diabetes in remission for up to 15 years and most of the weight off for up to 20 years in one of the largest long-term studies of patients undergoing procedure. The study was presented today at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting.
Researchers from Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA analyzed diabetes remission rates and weight loss outcomes of 2,045 patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery at their center between 2001 and 2008 and were followed for up to 20 years. Patients, on average, were 46 years old with a body mass index (BMI) of 47.9 before surgery.
Of 677 patients with preoperative diabetes, remission rates were 54% at three years, but dropped to 38% after 15 years. Only about 10% of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes experienced remission over the same time period, and the rate of persistent diabetes was higher in patients who had been treated with insulin before surgery.
A maximum weight loss of 31.8% was achieved after 18 months and stabilized at 23% after 10 years and up to the 20-year mark. The overall 15-year mortality rate was 13.3%, which was 37.4% among patients with diabetes and over 60 years of age. No deaths were related to the surgery itself.
With the availability of medical and endoscopic therapies, demonstrating long-term efficacy of gastric bypass that exceeds that of alternatives is critical to providing the right intervention to the right patient at the right time.”
Anthony T. Petrick, MD, FACS, Study Author, Director, Department of Bariatric Surgery and Surgery, Geisinger Health System
ASMBS reports that nearly 280,000 metabolic and bariatric procedures were performed in 2022, representing only about 1% of those who meet BMI eligibility requirements.
“The study is an important contribution to the current understanding of long-term outcomes of gastric bypass because of the extremely high follow-up rates,” said Marina Kurian, MD, ASMBS President, who was not involved in the study.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity affects 42.4% of Americans. Studies show that the disease can weaken or damage the body’s immune system and cause chronic inflammation and increase the risk of many other diseases and conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
