Background

Preoperative exercise has been identified as a potential correlate of postoperative outcomes in adolescent bariatric surgery. However, the majority of studies have focused on self-reported activity levels. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between preoperative activity status and postoperative outcomes among adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery.

Methods

Exercise science assessment data, demographics, and postoperative clinical outcomes were collected retrospectively from the electronic medical records of adolescent patients undergoing bariatric surgery at an academic medical center between 2014 and 2023. The relationship between baseline exercise variables and outcomes of interest using parametric tests.

Results

The participants (n=72) were primarily female (73.6%), White (45.8%), and non-Hispanic/Latino (86.1%) with a mean age of 16.9+1.0 years and 52.8% private payor. All underwent a sleeve gastrectomy, with 1 experiencing a 30-day readmission and 1 observation both for abdominal pain and nausea. No reoperations nor mortalities were observed. Preoperative Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) difference (Mid-Post 6-minute-walk test) was related to 1-month postoperative weight loss (-22.3kg+ 10.5, p<0.001) but unrelated to changes in systolic blood pressure. Patient reported minutes/week exercise preoperatively was associated with larger weight losses (161.6 min + 120.6, p<0.001) and reductions in systolic blood pressure (<0.001).

Conclusions

Adolescents observed experienced minimal complications after bariatric surgery. Preoperative RPE difference was associated with larger initial weight losses. Additional research is needed to assess longer term weight loss and cardiometabolic risk factors.