Changing Guidelines for Metabolic Surgery: Now It’s the Time!

Body mass index and benign breast surgeries: a survey of plastic surgeons’ knowledge and attitudes

Background

The academic literature has not arrived at a consensus on the importance of body mass index (BMI) as an indicator of surgical feasibility and risk. This study evaluates board-certified plastic surgeons' and trainees' knowledge, experiences, and concerns around performing benign breast surgeries in high-BMI patients.

Methods

An online survey instrument was developed and shared with plastic surgeons and plastic surgery trainees from December 2021 to January 2022.

Results

There were 30 respondents (18 from Israel, 11 from the United States, and 1 from Turkey). For respondents who had BMI guidelines for performing benign breast surgeries, the median maximum BMI was 35 for all procedures. Most respondents supported or strongly supported their BMI guidelines.The majority of respondents indicated that they tended to have less training and experience in performing benign breast surgeries on high-BMI patients compared to those with BMI <30. Most respondents indicated that they were less satisfied with the results of these procedures on high-BMI patients compared to those with BMI <30. The median post-operation recovery time was indicated to be similar for high-BMI patients compared to those with BMI <30 across all procedures; however, the postoperative complication rate was indicated as higher.

Conclusions

Respondents indicated that the risks of complication, more frequent need for surgical revisions, and unsatisfactory outcomes were their greatest concerns when conducting chest surgeries among high-BMI patients. Given that most surgeons practice in settings where high-BMI patients are excluded from procedure access, further research is needed to assess the extent to which these concerns reflect actual outcome differences.

Bariatric patient's body composition: An option to BMI?

BACKGROUND

Bariatric surgery is one of the best treatments for obesity. This indication includes an evaluation of body mass index (BMI) that does not consider the body composition of an individual.

AIM

To determine the body composition of bariatric surgery candidates.

METHODS

Patients treated at a tertiary care centre for obesity were evaluated. Body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). All measures of BIA and surgical indication were analysed.

RESULTS

We evaluated 407 subjects, 87 (21.4%) men, with a mean age of 36 years. In men with indications for bariatric surgery, the mean ± SD body fat percentage (%BF) was 45.1 ± 5.39%, and the mean ± SD visceral fat area was 243.6 ± 33.79 cm². In women with indications for bariatric surgery, the mean ± SD %BF was 50.7 ± 3.3%, and the mean ± SD visceral fat area was 241.7 ± 24.77 cm².

CONCLUSION

This study showed different body compositions between men and women and parameters of %BF and visceral fat area evaluated by BIA.

Metabolic bariatric surgery as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome: review of the literature and potential mechanisms

Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is closely related to obesity and can cause multiple organs and systems damage. Metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is presently the only long-term effective treatment and an important strategy for severely obese population, which also provides a novel therapeutic for obese patients with OSAHS, especially in patients with poor continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) adherence. To date, the resolution mechanism of OSAHS in obese patients after MBS has not been fully clarified. In addition, there is no specific metabolic bariatric surgical treatment of OSAHS guidelines. Therefore, this review provides an update on the relationship between OSAHS and MBS for highlighting the importance of weight loss strategies for obese patients with OSAHS.

Impact of arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes on cardiac autonomic modulation in obese individuals with recommendation for bariatric surgery

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Obese individuals with recommendation for bariatric surgery (BS) exhibit increased cardiovascular risk. The association of obesity with comorbidities, such as arterial hypertension (HTN) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can worsen cardiovascular dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the effect of HTN on cardiac autonomic function and whether diabetes exacerbates HTN-related impairment of autonomic function in obese subjects.

METHODS

Samples (n=63) were allocated to three groups: Obese without HTN and T2DM (n=29), Obese with HTN (OHTN, n=17) and OHTN with T2DM (OHTN+T2DM, n=17), in which anthropometric measures, body composition, blood biochemical parameters, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) were evaluated.

RESULTS

The age was higher in OHTN+T2DM and OHTN than in obese groups (p<0.05). OHTN+T2DM individuals had increased neck circumference and compromised glycemic profile when compared to obese and OHTN groups (p<0.05). Mean values for standard deviation of RR (SDRR), square root of the mean squared differences of successive RR interval (RMSSD) and number of pairs of successive normal-to-normal beat intervals that differed by 50 ms (pRR50) were significantly lower in OHTN+T2DM and OHTN groups when compared to patients with obesity alone (p<0.05). The low frequency (LF), low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) ratio were higher in the OHTN+T2DM and OHTN than subjects with obesity alone (p<0.05). Nonlinear parameters SD2 and SD1 were also lower in the OHTN+T2DM when compared to the obese group (p<0.05). However, the SD2/SD1 ratio was higher in the OHTN+T2DM and OHTN groups than the obese group.

CONCLUSION

T2DM and/or HTN impair the cardiac autonomic function in obese patients. However, the presence of T2DM did not exacerbate the hypertension-related impairment of autonomic function.

Does Gastric Surgery (Such as Bariatric Surgery) Impact the Risk of Intestinal Inflammation?

Background

The prevalence of morbid obesity and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is on the rise in association with a Western lifestyle. Both conditions are characterized by chronic inflammation. Bariatric surgery (BS) is a recommended and widely used approach to address severe obesity and its related comorbidities. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) are the most frequently performed procedures worldwide. Evidence is scarce on outcomes of BS in IBD patients.

Summary

Systemic and adipose-tissue inflammation seems to decrease following BS. Different studies observed decreased serum levels of inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, MCP-1, and TNF-α) along with a reduction of insulin resistance both after RYGBP and SG. Several authors documented postbariatric improvement of concomitant chronic inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, gout, and psoriasis). There are only few retrospective case series on outcomes of BS in IBD patients. These studies reported safety and feasibility of BS and improvement in IBD status, manifested by prolonged disease remission and decreased use of pharmacotherapy. Weight loss outcomes were excellent and similar to those of non-IBD patients. The preferred surgical approach for morbidly obese IBD patients is SG in order to avoid potential drawbacks of RYGBP, such as malabsorption, intestinal manipulation, and augmentation of technical difficulties for future IBD surgery. Seven cases of newly diagnosed IBD after BS have been reported, which are more likely to result from postoperative intestinal microbial dysbiosis than from directly induced inflammation.

Key Messages

This review summarizes the outcomes of BS in IBD patients. SG is the preferable technique for morbidly obese IBD patients, who have potentially a double benefit from BS: weight loss and IBD remission. Further research is necessary to clarify the common pathophysiology of chronic inflammation in morbid obesity and in IBD. Postbariatric changes in gut microbiota should also be assessed to understand whether they promote IBD development or not.