Big news in bariatric surgery: Reduced cancer, cardiovascular risks; Presley’s post-mortem
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Although bariatric surgery is generally considered effective for the treatment of obesity, the recent death of singer-songwriter, Lisa Presley, from complications related to the procedure have shed new light on its potential risks.
Healio has been covering the latest in bariatric surgery including an exclusive interview with an expert discussing the risks and benefits of bariatric surgery, and the symptoms patients and providers should watch for to avoid a complication such as Presley’s. Additional news coverage includes research linking bariatric surgery to significantly lower risk for obesity-related cancers and a slew of other conditions, while other research has demonstrated that teens who undergo bariatric surgery have a subsequent risk for alcohol use disorder.
Image: Adobe Stock
In case you missed any of it, Healio has put together a list of our coverage of the latest highlights in bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery may reduce cancer risk in obesity by more than half
Bariatric surgery may significantly lower the risk for obesity-related cancers, including breast, colon, liver, pancreatic, ovarian and thyroid, in patients with obesity.
“The primary modality for significant weight loss in obesity is bariatric surgery, including sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass and gastric band procedures,” Vibhu Chittajallu, MD, a gastroenterology fellow at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, said during the Digestive Disease Week media briefing. “Benefits to these procedures other than weight loss include improvement in patients’ mental and physical well-being.” Read more.
Q&A: Risk for small bowel obstruction is ‘not exclusively specific to bariatric surgery’
On July 13, the LA County medical examiner’s office reported that Lisa Marie Presley, singer-songwriter and child of Elvis Presley, died of a small bowel obstruction caused by scar tissue that developed after a previous bariatric surgery.
Most small bowel obstructions are a result of prior surgeries, JAMA reported in 2018, noting “the more surgeries that involve the bowel, the more scars are likely to form.” This can lead to a bowel blockage that cuts off blood supply from the small intestine if left untreated. Read more.
Alcohol use disorder risk higher for teens who undergo metabolic, bariatric surgery
Nearly half of adolescent patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or vertical sleeve gastrectomy had increased alcohol use and were at risk for alcohol-related harm and problems within 8 years of surgery, according to study results.
“We undertook this investigation for two reasons: First, literature suggests that adults who undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and vertical sleeve gastrectomy are at increased risk for alcohol use disorders,” Gretchen E. White, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology and clinical and translational science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, told Healio. “Second, alcohol is the most widely abused substance for American youth and alcohol use is often initiated during adolescence.” Read more.
Obesity medication use plummets after bariatric surgery; cardiovascular drug use rebounds
Patients who underwent bariatric surgery for morbid obesity had a “substantial and long-lasting reduction” of lipid-lowering and antidiabetic medication use compared with patients who did not undergo surgery.
“Bariatric surgery decreases the prevalence of obesity-related diseases, contributing to longer life expectancy and increasing use of such surgery in patients with morbid obesity,” Joonas H. Kauppila, MD, PhD, professor of clinical epidemiology and gastrointestinal surgery consultant at the University of Oulu in Finland, and colleagues wrote in JAMA Surgery. “Yet, it is unclear how bariatric surgery influences the long-term use of medications for obesity-related diseases, ie, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disorders and diabetes.” Read more.
Bariatric surgery may lower risk for cardiovascular events, mortality in NAFLD, obesity
Bariatric surgery was linked to a decreased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity, according to results in JAMA Network Open.
“Bariatric surgery (BS) may be indicated in patients with obesity and NAFLD to achieve and maintain the degree of weight loss associated with therapeutic outcomes,” Arunkumar Krishnan, MBBS, from the section of gastroenterology and hepatology at West Virginia University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote. “However, there is a paucity of data on the impact of BS specifically for patients with NAFLD, and the outcomes of BS in patients with obesity cannot be directly extrapolated for patients with NAFLD.” Read more.
Telemedicine may improve access to quality care, ‘narrow disparities’ in bariatric surgery
Clinical outcomes at 30 and 60 days and postoperative hospital utilization were similar among patients who received fully remote vs. in-person preoperative care for bariatric surgery, according to results in JAMA Network Open.
“Telemedicine use has grown dramatically since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and leads to improved flexibility and better efficiency for patients, providers and hospitals,” Callie Hlavin, MD, MPH, a general surgery resident at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, told Healio. “We believe that telemedicine offers the opportunity to provide increased access to high quality care.” Read more.
Bariatric surgery tied to ‘significant reduction’ in risk for esophageal, gastric cancer
Bariatric surgery was associated with a decreased incidence of esophageal and gastric cancer as well as in-hospital mortality in a cohort of patients with severe obesity, according to results published in JAMA Surgery.
“Little information is available on the incidence of esophagogastric cancer after bariatric surgery in large cohorts,” Andrea Lazzati, MD, PhD, of the department of general surgery at the Intercommunal Hospital Center of Creteil in France, and colleagues wrote. “Therefore, using a national administrative database, we performed a study on a nationwide scale comparing the incidence of esophageal and gastric cancer between patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery and those who did not (control group).” Read more.