Long-term effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in morbidly obese subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is becoming popular as a stand-alone procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity and related diseases. This retrospective study presents the outcomes of LSG with regard to weight loss and improvement in co-morbidities and quality of life (QOL) at the end of 3 years after surgery in a tertiary care hospital in Pune, India. Methods: A total of 23 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (6 men and 17 women) with morbid obesity (mean body mass index 40.7 +/- 6.6 kg/m(2)) who had undergone LSG from 2004 to 2005 were selected for the present analysis. The percentage of excess weight loss and changes in co-morbidity status and QOL at the end of 3 years were calculated. The patients were simultaneously evaluated using the Bariatric Analysis and Reporting Outcome System scores. P values <.05 were considered significant. Results: At 36 months after surgery, the percentage of excess weight loss was 74.58%, a significant number of patients (16 of 23, P <.05) had had improvement in all co-morbidities, and 7 showed improvement in >= 1 co-morbidity. All patients indicated improvement in their QOL but not equally for all parameters included in the questionnaire. The Bariatric Analysis and Reporting Outcome System score was good in 4, very good in 4, and excellent in 15 of the 23 patients. Conclusion: Our data have shown that LSG is a highly effective and safe procedure for achieving weight loss, improving co-morbidities, and improving the QOL in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and morbid obesity during a long-term period. (Surg Obes Relat Dis 2010; 6:142-145.) (C) 2010 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. All rights reserved.