Treatment of super super morbid obesity by sleeve gastrectomy

Interest of work > The longitudinal or “sleeve” gastrectomy was recently introduced into the therapeutic arsenal of the bariatric surgeon. It is a restrictive procedure that reduces stomach capacity by 75%. We present here a preliminary experience with four patients.

Methods > Four patients with super super obesity (body mass index (BMI) > 60 kg/m²) underwent longitudinal or “sleeve” gastrectomy. Their average preoperative weight was 173 kg (range: 147-190 kg) and mean BMI 65 kg/m² (range: 61-67 kg/m²).

Results > The average post-operative follow-up was 6 months (range: 2-12 months). Average weight loss at 6 months was 40 kg (range: 20-60 kg) and average decrease in BMI at 6 months 16.3 kg/m² (range: 6-23 kg/m²). We noted a postsurgical complication in only one patient (subdiaphragmatic abscess treated with drainage).

Perspectives > These preliminary results suggest that the sleeve gastrectomy is associated with few perioperative complications and offers rapidly effective treatment for super super morbid obesity. Long-term results require further investigation.