Weight-Loss Surgery for Moderately Obese Patients

Until now Weight-Loss Surgery was recommended for severely obese patients, those with body mass index (BMI) greater than 40 that filed to drop weight by traditional procedures. But now, weight-loss surgery may work for moderately obese patients, according to a review study published recently in The Cochrane Library, an international organization that evaluates medical research.

Dr. J.L. Colquitt, Senior Research Fellow from the University of Southampton in England, led the review that concludes that weight-loss surgery may work for moderately obese patients. According to this study people with a BMI of less than 40 may benefit from bariatric surgery, the medical term for weight-loss surgery.

Researchers led by Colquitt evaluated 26 published papers on weight-loss surgery that involved near 5,800 patients. Of these, six studies evaluated bariatric surgery against weight loss management and 20 papers were able to compare different weight-loss surgery procedures.

The study found that bariatric surgery in obese patients led to more weight loss than dieting and exercise. Two of the studies included in the review evaluated the effect of weight-loss surgery on patients with moderate obesity, that is, with BMIs between 30 and 40. After two years of having surgery participants of both studies had more weight loss than a control group who followed dieting and exercise.

More specifically, one study found people who used drugs, diet and exercise lost 21.8 percent of excess weight while patients who had weight-loss surgery dropped 87.2 percent of excess weight

The review also shows that the type of surgery may have an effect on weight-loss results. Researchers found that gastric bypass (making stomach and the small intestine smaller) led to greater weight loss than adjustable gastric banding (using silicone bands that the physician can adjust to reduce the stomach's size).

Sources

Colquitt JL, et al. 2009. Surgery for obesity. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 2.