Weight Loss Surgery Has Edge On Conventional Methods
New findings reveal that obesity surgery produces greater weight loss than conventional treatment for moderately obese patients as well as those with severe obesity. The surgery route also appears to better reduce diabetes, hypertension, and other co-existing conditions.
Dr. Jill L. Colquitt and colleagues, from the University of Southampton, UK, examined various electronic databases and identified 26 studies that compared weight loss surgical procedures, known as bariatric surgery, with non-surgical treatments for obesity such as drugs, diets, and exercise.
The findings were reported in The Cochrane Library.
The studies analyzed three randomized trials and three prospective studies that compared surgical with non-surgical treatments. The remaining 20 studies were trials that compared various types of bariatric operations.
The study found surgical means provided greater weight loss for any degree of obesity compared with non-surgical treatments.
Researchers say the surgery is also credited with reductions in diabetes, hypertension, and other co-existing conditions.
The authors note that improvements in health-related quality of life were noted after 2 years, but their long-term persistence was unclear.
However, bariatric operations were not a perfect solution. They came with several complications, including serious ones such as pulmonary embolism and even postoperative death.
When examining the different bariatric procedures, there was some evidence that gastric bypass provided greater weight loss compared to vertical banded gastroplasty or adjustable gastric banding.
Isolated sleeve gastrectomy and banded gastric bypass both produced weight losses comparable to that seen with gastric bypass.
The authors say they were not able to reach firm conclusions regarding the relative safety of each bariatric operation due to limited data.
The University of Southampton team says surgery produces greater weight loss than conventional obesity treatments, but it’s hard to determine exactly which procedure provides the best mix of effectiveness and safety.
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