Surgical treatment of morbid obesity. A survey of overall outcome 1968-1989

• Published in: Danish medical bulletin Vol. 38; no. 5; pp. 405 - 407
• Main Authors: Gjørup, I E, Gøtzsche, P C, Baden, H, Andersen, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Denmark 01.10.1991
• Subjects: Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gastric Bypass - adverse effects; Gastroplasty - adverse effects; Humans; Jejunoileal Bypass - adverse effects; Male; Obesity, Morbid - surgery; Patient Satisfaction; Weight Loss
• ISSN: 0907-8916

This survey evaluates benefits and costs from a policy of employing surgical treatment in selected cases of morbid obesity. Between 1968 and 1978, we used end-to-side jejunoileal bypass. Despite many satisfied patients, complications were frequent and severe. For the next decade, we employed various types of gastric surgery. We eventually assessed a gastric balloon, but without success. Median duration of follow-up was 132 months in 145 patients with jejunoileostomy, 103 months in seven gastric bypass patients, and 36 months in 108 gastroplasty patients. Three patients were lost to follow-up. There have been four deaths after intestinal shunt and one after gastroplasty. The median re-admission rate was 1.6 per patient, while the median number of re-operations was 2.0 after intestinal shunt and 0.8 after gastric interventions. The median weight loss in our 260 patients was 32.1% of the preoperative weight. Outcome was good in 38.8%, acceptable in 40.4% and poor in 11.5% while there were 9.2% failures. Truly satisfactory outcomes, however, were rare, owing possibly to a negative relationship between weight loss and complications. Only 8.8% have obtained a stable normal weight without any side-effects.