Abstract

The present meta-regression pools data from reports of long-term follow-up (>2 years) to assess durability of the efficacy associated with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery.Medline and PubMed searches for articles pertaining to long-term weight loss after RYGB surgery were performed.Various studies have consistently shown short-term (<2 years) efficacy of RYGB surgery for morbid obesity, corroborated by meta-analytic techniques. Relatively few studies have assessed efficacy over longer periods of time. This is the first meta-analysis to analyze long-term effects of RYGB surgery on weight loss.Twenty-two reports with a total of 4206 patient cases were included. Sixteen of the 22 studies had multiple follow-up times, ranging from 2 to 12.3 years (mean: 3.6 years). An inverse variance weighted model and meta-regression were used to generate the pooled percent mean excess weight loss (EWL) and the durability of EWL over time, respectively.Meta-regression did not reveal any significant change in EWL over time. Pooled mean EWL was 66.5%, and there was no significant association between EWL and length of follow-up.Pooling data from multiple studies meta-analytically revealed that weight loss after RYGB is maintained over the long-term. Further investigation would be necessary to ascertain similar durability in comorbidity reduction after RYGB surgery.

View details for DOI 10.1097/SLA.0b013e3182565712

View details for Web of Science ID 000306372500010

View details for PubMedID 22584693