Background

The dilemma of whether to operate on patients with poor functional status is especially relevant to metabolic surgery, where the primary end goal is weight loss. This study examines first the safety of metabolic surgery in mobility limited patients, defined as requirement for mobility assistive device, and secondly at patient success in achieving sustained weight loss.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study utilized a prospectively-collected database of across five bariatric surgery centers. Patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass or revisional procedures between 2020-2022 were included. The primary outcome analyzed was post-operative complications in the limited mobility vs non-limited mobility group. The secondary outcome examined was weight loss after surgery.

Results

Patients from the limited mobility group were significantly more likely to have undergone gastric bypass or a revisional procedure (p=0.03) and were more likely to have a post-operative complication compared to patients without mobility issues (p=0.02). Patients with mobility issues as a group also had a higher starting pre-operative BMI, and demonstrated less total body weight loss at the 6 and 12 month mark compared to patients without mobility issues.

Conclusions

Patients with non-transient mobility limitations had a significantly higher overall complication rate than patients without mobility limitations. They also demonstrated less weight loss over time.