Impact of Body Mass Index >50 on Cardiac Structural and Functional Characteristics and Surgical Outcomes After Bariatric Surgery

Improvement in Pulmonary Hypertension Following Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: a Brief Review and Meta-analysis

We reviewed the available evidence on the outcome of metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Five studies examining 174 patients were included; the mean age was 54.5 ± 9.27 years; the mean BMI before surgery and at the end of follow-up were 47.2 ± 5.95 kg/m2 and 37.4 ± 2.51 kg/m2, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed a significant decrease in the right ventricle systolic pressure (RVSP) after MBS with a mean difference of 10.11% (CI 95%: 3.52, 16.70, I2 = 85.37%, p =  < 0.001), at 16.5  ±  3.8 month follow-up with a morbidity rate of 26% and 0 mortality. Thirty-day postoperative complications included respiratory failure, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary edema, and anastomotic leak. There appears to be a significant improvement in PH with a decrease in medication requirements after MBS.

The effects of bariatric surgery on cardiac function: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Obesity is associated with alterations in cardiac structure and haemodynamics leading to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Culminating evidence suggests improvement of cardiac structure and function following bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of bariatric surgery on cardiac structure and function in patients before and after bariatric surgery.

METHODS

Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting pre- and postoperative cardiac structure and function parameters on cardiac imaging in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

RESULTS

Eighty studies of 3332 patients were included. Bariatric surgery is associated with a statistically significant improvement in cardiac geometry and function including a decrease of 12.2% (95% CI 0.096-0.149; p < 0.001) in left ventricular (LV) mass index, an increase of 0.155 (95% CI 0.106-0.205; p < 0.001) in E/A ratio, a decrease of 2.012 mm (95% CI 1.356-2.699; p < 0.001) in left atrial diameter, a decrease of 1.16 mm (95% CI 0.62-1.69; p < 0.001) in LV diastolic dimension, and an increase of 1.636% (95% CI 0.706-2.566; p < 0.001) in LV ejection fraction after surgery.

CONCLUSION

Bariatric surgery led to reverse remodelling and improvement in cardiac geometry and function driven by metabolic and haemodynamic factors.

The first survey addressing patients with BMI over 50: a survey of 789 bariatric surgeons

Background

Bariatric surgery in patients with BMI over 50 kg/m² is a challenging task. The aim of this study was to address main issues regarding perioperative management of these patients by using a worldwide survey.

Methods

An online 48-item questionnaire-based survey on perioperative management of patients with a BMI superior to 50 kg/m² was ideated by 15 bariatric surgeons from 9 different countries. The questionnaire was emailed to all members of the International Federation of Surgery for Obesity (IFSO). Responses were collected and analyzed by the authors.

Results

789 bariatric surgeons from 73 countries participated in the survey. Most surgeons (89.9%) believed that metabolic/bariatric surgery (MBS) on patients with BMI over 50 kg/m² should only be performed by expert bariatric surgeons. Half of the participants (55.3%) believed that weight loss must be encouraged before surgery and 42.6% of surgeons recommended an excess weight loss of at least 10%. However, only 3.6% of surgeons recommended the insertion of an Intragastric Balloon as bridge therapy before surgery. Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG) was considered the best choice for patients younger than 18 or older than 65 years old. SG and One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass were the most common procedures for individuals between 18 and 65 years. Half of the surgeons believed that a 2-stage approach should be offered to patients with BMI > 50 kg/m², with SG being the first step. Postoperative thromboprophylaxis was recommended for 2 and 4 weeks by 37.8% and 37.7% of participants, respectively.

Conclusion

This survey demonstrated worldwide variations in bariatric surgery practice regarding patients with a BMI superior to 50 kg/m². Careful analysis of these results is useful for identifying several areas for future research and consensus building.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00464-021-08979-w.

Routine preoperative resting echocardiography does not predict adverse cardiopulmonary events after bariatric surgery

BACKGROUND

A routine resting echocardiography has been suggested as a means to assess cardiac functioning and predict adverse cardiopulmonary events after bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the findings of routine resting echocardiographs in bariatric surgical candidates over a 3-year period and correlate them with observed adverse cardiopulmonary outcomes.

SETTING

Tertiary-care university-based referral hospital.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 422 consecutive patients who underwent a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or laparoscopic gastric bypass at our center over 3 years, of whom 321 (76%) received a routine resting preoperative echocardiogram. Abnormal preoperative echocardiogram findings and patient characteristics were recorded. The primary outcome measure was the number of adverse cardiopulmonary events within 30 days of surgery, a composite measure defined as any instance of myocardial infarction, sustained hypotension, stroke, new-onset arrhythmia, heart failure, intensive care admission for cardiopulmonary monitoring, or cardiac arrest.

RESULTS

Routine screening preoperative echocardiograms revealed left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction in 7 patients (2%), LV diastolic dysfunction in 71 patients (22%), LV hypertrophy in 73 patients (23%), wall motion abnormalities in 4 patients (1%), pulmonary hypertension in 47 patients (15%), left atrial enlargement in 45 patients (14%), and LV enlargement in 6 patients (1%). Adverse cardiopulmonary events occurred in only 4 patients, all of whom had a history of coronary revascularization, and 3 of whom had a prior myocardial infarction. No finding on the routine preoperative echocardiograms was associated with adverse cardiopulmonary events.

CONCLUSION

A routine resting preoperative echocardiography added little to the cardiopulmonary risk stratification of patients who underwent bariatric surgery. High-risk patients were identifiable based on their medical history, particularly those with a known history of coronary artery disease and coronary revascularization.

Improvement of Cardiac Function After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in Morbidly Obese Patients Without Cardiac History Measured by Cardiac MRI

PURPOSE

Metabolic syndrome in patients with morbid obesity causes a higher cardiovascular morbidity, eventually leading to left ventricular hypertrophy and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is considered the gold standard modality for treatment of morbid obesity and might even lead to improved cardiac function. Our objective is to investigate whether cardiac function in patients with morbid obesity improves after RYGB.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this single center pilot study, 15 patients with an uneventful cardiac history who underwent RYGB were included from May 2015 to March 2016. Cardiac function was measured by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI), performed preoperatively and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperative. LVEF and myocardial mass and cardiac output were measured.

RESULTS

A total of 13 patients without decreased LVEF preoperative completed follow-up (mean age 37, 48.0 ± 8.8). There was a significant decrease of cardiac output 12 months postoperative (8.3 ± 1.8 preoperative vs. 6.8 ± 1.8 after 12 months, P = 0.001). Average myocardial mass declined by 15.2% (P < 0.001). After correction for body surface area (BSA), this appeared to be non-significant (P = 0.36). There was a significant improvement of LVEF/BSA at 6 and 12 months postoperative (26.2 ± 4.1 preoperative vs. 28.4 ± 3.4 and 29.2 ± 3.6 respectively, both P = 0.002). Additionally, there was a significant improvement of stroke volume/BSA 12 months after surgery (45.8 ± 8.0 vs. 51.9 ± 10.7, P = 0.033).

CONCLUSION

RYGB in patients with morbid obesity with uneventful history of cardiac disease leads to improvement of cardiac function.

Dysglycemia and increased left ventricle mass in normotensive patients admitted with a first myocardial infarction: prognostic implications of dysglycemia during 14 years of follow-up

Background

Left ventricle mass (LVM) can be influenced by various conditions including hypertension and/or inherent cardiomyopathies. Dysglycemia is also thought to exert an anabolic effect on heart tissue by hyperinsulinemia and thereby promoting increased LVM. The primary aim of this study was to assess the influence of dysglycemia on LVM evaluated by an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in patients admitted with a first myocardial infarction (MI) without hypertension. The secondary aim was to assess the impact of dysglycemia on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause mortality during long-term follow-up.

Methods

Patients admitted with a first MI without known history of hypertension were included. All patients without previously known type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) had a standardized 2-hour OGTT performed and were categorized as: normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG)/impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and newly detected T2DM (new T2DM). LVM was measured by echocardiography using Devereaux formula and indexed by body surface area. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess the impact of confounders (dysglycemia by OGTT, known T2DM, age, sex and type of MI) on LVM. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the impact of dysglycemia on all-cause mortality and a composite endpoint of MACE (all-cause mortality, MI, revascularisation due to stable angina, coronary artery bypass graft, ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke).

Results

Two-hundred-and-five patients were included and followed up to 14 years. In multivariate regression analysis, LVM was only significantly increased in patients categorized as new T2DM (β = 25.3; 95% CI [7.5–43.0]) and known T2DM (β = 37.3; 95% CI [10.0-64.5]) compared to patients with NGT. Patients with new T2DM showed higher rates of MACE and all-cause mortality compared to patients with IFG/IGT and NGT; however no significantly increased hazard ratio was detected.

Conclusions

Dysglycemia is associated with increasing LVM in normotensive patients with a first acute myocardial infarction and the strongest association was observed in patients with new T2DM and patients with known T2DM. Dysglycemia in normotensive patients with a first MI is not an independent predictor of neither MACE nor all-cause mortality during long-term follow-up compared to normotensive patients without dysglycemia.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12872-019-1084-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Bariatric surgery in patients with pulmonary hypertension

BACKGROUND

Data regarding the outcomes of bariatric surgery in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) is limited. The aim of this study was to review our experience on bariatric surgery in patients with PH.

SETTING

An academic medical center.

METHODS

Patients with PH who underwent either a primary or revisional bariatric surgery between 2005 and 2015 and had a preoperative right ventricle systolic pressure (RVSP) ≥35 mm Hg were included.

RESULTS

Sixty-one patients met the inclusion criteria. Fifty (82%) were female with the median age of 58 years (interquartile range [IQR] 49-63). The median body mass index was 49 kg/m² (IQR 43-54). Procedures performed included the following: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n = 33, 54%), sleeve gastrectomy (n = 24, 39%), adjustable gastric banding (n = 3, 5%), and banded gastric plication (n = 1, 2%). Four patients (7%) underwent revisional bariatric procedures. Median operative time and length of stay was 130 minutes (IQR 110-186) and 3 days (IQR 2-5), respectively. The 30-day complication rate was 16% (n = 10) with pulmonary complications noted in 4 patients. There was no 30-day mortality. One-year follow-up was available in 93% patients (n = 57). At 1 year, median body mass index and excess weight loss were 36 kg/m² (IQR 33-41) and 51% (IQR 33-68), respectively. There was significant improvement in the RVSP after bariatric surgery at a median follow-up of 22 months (IQR 10-41). The median RVSP decreased from 44 (IQR 38-53) to 40 mm Hg (IQR 28-54) (P = .03).

CONCLUSION

Bariatric surgery can be performed without prohibitive complication rates in patients with PH. In our experience, bariatric patients with PH achieved significant weight loss and improvement in RVSP.