Piotr J Gorecki, MD2, Christine M Najjar, MS1, Krystyna Kabata, PA2, Anthony Tortolani, MD2. 2New York Methodist Hospital, 1St. George’s University School of Medicine
BACKGROUND: Short-term benefits of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) are well known and it remains the treatment of choice for morbid obesity. Prevalence of anemia in bariatric surgery candidates has been reported in 10% to 40% of patients. Few long-term studies evaluate the prevalence of anemia after LRYGB. Our study analyzes the incidence of anemia in LRYGB patients with at least 5-year follow up.
METHODS: Fifty-five patients operated on between August 2001 and August 2004 in a single institution by a single surgeon utilizing the same technique were analysed. All data was collected prospectively. Patients with at least one charted hemoglobin (Hb) level 5 or more years after surgery were included. Females and males were considered anemic with Hb levels of <12g/dL and <13.5g/dL, respectively. Incidence of anemia and follow-up Hb levels were compared to pre-operative Hb levels using a paired two-sample t-test.
RESULTS: There were no conversions to open surgery and no perioperative mortalities. Average preoperative patient age and BMI were 35.6 years and 48.2kg/m2, respectively. Females represented 89% of patients. See tables.
Follow-up Period | n = Patients (M) | Mean Hb ± SD (M) | Pvalue (M) | n = Patients (F) | Mean Hb ± SD (F) | Pvalue (F) |
Pre-op | 6 | 14.98±1.24 | 1 | 46 | 12.85±1.15 | 1 |
3m | 5 | 14.54±1.75 | 0.6482 | 38 | 12.76±1.06 | 0.7201 |
12m | 4 | 14.57±1.71 | 0.6974 | 33 | 12.68±1.23 | 0.5335 |
24m | 4 | 14.9±2.38 | 0.9517 | 21 | 11.55±1.52 | 0.0015 |
3-5y | 4 | 14.9±2.07 | 0.7347 | 30 | 11.51±1.32 | 0.0001 |
6-9y | 5 | 14.9±2.54 | 0.4271 | 39 | 11.41±1.52 | 0.0001 |
>10y | 5 | 14.9±1.21 | 0.0994 | 36 | 10.95±1.78 | 0.0001 |
A worsening anemia becomes statistically significant at the 24-month period (p=0.0038). Mean decrease in Hb for females becomes significant at 24-months and continues to decrease in all follow-up periods. 21.7% of females are anemic in the pre-operative period and 69.4% (p=0.001) are anemic 10 years after LRYGB.
CONCULSION: Patients undergoing LRYGB are at risk of developing anemia at long-term follow. This risk is greater for females and increases each year after LRYGB.