Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is gaining popularity for the treatment of obesity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the volume of the resected stomach (VRS) as a predictor of the percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) 1 year after LSG.
Methods: This was a single-surgeon study of prospectively collected data of patients who underwent LSG at Jordan University Hospital (February 2009 to February 2012). The VRS was measured using a standardized technique. The %EWL was calculated at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. The correlation between the VRS and %EWL was statistically evaluated.
Results: Ninety patients underwent LSG during the study period. Of these, 73 patients (57 female) completed at least 1 year of follow-up and were analyzed; their body mass index was 45 ± 7.6 kg/m(2) (33-81). The VRS was 1,337.4 ± 435.2 ml (600-2,800). The %EWL was 33.6 ± 11.1 % at 3 months, 48.6 ± 15.5 % at 6 months, and 56.8 ± 18.9 % at 12 months. A significant correlation was observed between the VRS and %EWL at 1 year (p = 0.003). Patients with a VRS of >1,100 ml (n = 43) achieved significantly greater %EWL at 12 months than did those with a VRS of ≤ 1,100 (n = 30). Removal of >1,100 ml of gastric volume was associated with a sensitivity and specificity of 75.5 and 46.2 %, respectively, for achieving a %EWL of ≥ 50 %.
Conclusion: The VRS can be used as an indicator of excess weight loss 1 year after LSG.