Abstract
Background. Many institutions mandate preoperative weight loss prior to bariatric surgery. This study examines the correlation between preoperative weight change and postoperative success following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Methods. We retrospectively studied the correlation between change in BMI before surgery and change in BMI postoperatively, using linear regression analyses and one-way ANOVA, in 256 consecutive gastric bypass patients with 1-year followup. Results. Of 256 patients, 125 lost weight preoperatively (mean -1.7% BMI), while 131 maintained or gained weight (mean +1.2% BMI). Postoperatively, there was no significant difference in percent BMI loss between the two groups (34.6% and 34.5%). The percent change in BMI preoperatively did not predict postoperative BMI change after 1 year (P = n.s.). Conclusions. Our study did not show any correlation between preoperative weight change and postoperative weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Therefore, we do not believe that potential patients should be denied bariatric surgery on the basis of their inability to lose weight preoperatively.