C Patel, K Feng, D Breland, L Goss, J Richman, B Corey, J Grams. University of Alabama at Birmingham
Introduction: Many studies have documented poor patient compliance in attending recommended bariatric surgery follow-up visits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of weight loss outcomes with follow-up compliance during the first two years after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB).
Methods: Retrospective review was conducted of all adult patients who underwent LRYGB from 2005-2016 at a single institution. Patients were stratified by follow-up compliance at a total of 8 possible postoperative visits: low=1-3 and high=4-8 scheduled bariatric visits. Unadjusted and adjusted analyses were used to compare patient characteristics and compliance. Mixed-effects multivariate linear regression was used to model percent weight loss (%WL) over time by compliance group. Statistical significance was determined by p <0.05.
Results: Of 872 patients, the majority were female (78.2%) and European American (69.7%) with a median age of 43 years (IQR 36-51). There were 357 patients in the low and 515 patients in the high compliance groups. There were no statistically significant differences in age, sex, or race between compliance groups. On adjusted analysis comparing %WL at scheduled bariatric visits, there was no difference in %WL at 1 year follow-up between the groups (p=0.85). However, the high compliance group had a significantly greater %WL at 2 years of follow-up (p=0.03). When outpatient institutional visits were captured, adjusted analysis demonstrated significantly greater %WL at 1 and 2 years with the high compliance group (p<0.01 and p<0.01, respectively). On generalized linear models accounting for all scheduled bariatric visits within 2 years and all outpatient institutional visits within 2 years, there was a significant difference in weight loss outcomes with the low compliance group having a lower %WL (all with p<0.01).
Conclusions: Patients who were more compliant with their post-operative bariatric follow-up visits achieved greater %WL at 2 years following LRYBG. Further studies are needed to determine the reasons for low follow-up compliance and to improve patient outcomes.
Presented at the SAGES 2017 Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.
Abstract ID: 88214
Program Number: P606
Presentation Session: iPoster Session (Non CME)
Presentation Type: Poster