Early Safety Outcomes of Laparoscopic One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass in Patients with Class III, IV and V Obesity

Abstract

Background: Recent studies have reported higher postoperative complication rates in patients with severe obesity who undergo bariatric surgery. The extremely obese patient deserves special consideration: significant comorbidities, technical difficulties, and increased postoperative morbidity and mortality are all expected in this patient population. Current data are limited and discrepant on the relationship between patients with class IV obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥50-59.9 kg/m2), and class V obesity (BMI ≥60 kg/m2). This study compared early postoperative complications (≤30-day) following one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) morbidity in patients with class III, IV, and V obesity. Methods: Retrospective analysis of perioperative OAGB outcomes in three BMI groups at a high-volume hospital. Operative time, length of stay (LOS), and overall early postoperative complication rates were studied. Complications were ranked by Clavien-Dindo classification (CDC). Results: Between January 2017-December 2021, consecutive patients with obesity class III (n= 2,950), IV (n= 256), and V (n= 23) underwent OAGB. BMI groups were comparable in gender, age, and associated comorbidities. Mean operative time was significantly longer in the higher BMI groups: class III (66.5±25.6 min), IV (70.5±28.7 min), and V (80.0±34.7 min), respectively (p= 0.018); no difference in LOS. In respective BMI classes, ≤30-day complication rates were 3.2%, 3.5%, and 4.3% (p= 0.926). The respective number of patients with CDC grades of 1-2 were 45 (1.5%), 6 (2.3%), and 1 (4.3%), p= 0.500; and in grade ≥3a, 25 (0.8%), 1 (0.4%), 0 (0.0%), p= 0.669. No significant differences in rates of early complications, reoperations, and readmissions were found in revisional patients across BMI groups. There was 0.06% mortality (n= 2 in 3,229), both in BMI class III. Conclusion: OAGB is a safe metabolic bariatric surgery procedure in patients with class III, IV, and V obesity in the perioperative term with comparable ≤30-day morbidity in the three BMI groups.