Effect of metabolic bariatric surgery in patients with obesity aged 55 years or older

Abstract

Many studies have reported the safety and efficacy of metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) in older patients. However, there are no such studies targeting East Asians. This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of MBS in older and younger populations with obesity by comparing and analyzing their postoperative outcomes. We reviewed the electronic medical records of 410 patients who underwent MBS in 2019, categorizing them into two age groups: ≥ 55 years and < 55 years. Older patients had lower mean body weight and higher rates of comorbidities such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus compared to younger patients. Despite these differences, there was no significant disparity in operative time, postoperative hospital stay, or post-operative complications between the groups. The one-year follow-up showed a significant difference in percent total weight loss, favoring younger patients, but no significant difference in percent excess BMI loss. Our findings indicate that MBS is safe for older patients in East Asia, offering acceptable weight loss outcomes and suggesting that age alone should not be a barrier to surgery.