title: Short-term outcomes of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy among obesity patients in the Northern West Bank: a retrospective records review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conservative methods for weight loss are usually disappointing. Therefore, surgeries such as Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) should be considered. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes (body mass index; BMI) of LSG among obesity patients in the Northern West Bank.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital records were reviewed for all patients who had undergone LSG since 2010 in Arab specialized hospital in Nablus and Palestinian Red Crescent society hospital in Tulkarem. Then, patients have been invited again to participate in the study and asked to self-report further pre-/post-operative measures. The primary study outcome was the change in BMI while secondary outcomes included obesity associated co-morbidities' measures; hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age (standard deviation; SD) of the study participants (n = 30; 20 women and 10 men) was 34.06 (10.71) years. The mean (SD) follow-up time was 7.16 (5.05) months. The mean ± SD of the pre-operative BMI was 47.23 ± 7.89 kg/m2 while 36.74 ± 7.74 kg/m2 post-operatively (95% CI for mean differences and P-value; 8.83-12.14 and 0.001). For the clinically diagnosed hypertensive patients, there was a mean (SD) reduction of 27.50 (9.87) mm Hg in systolic pressure (P < 0.026) and 18.33 (13.66) of the diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.042). For diabetics, there were clinically and biologically clear mean (SD) reductions in fasting blood sugar and glycated hemoglobin A1c of about 82.00 (22.70) mg/dl and 1.90 (0.78) %; respectively. Only practicing sports or exercise (no/yes) remained significant with post-operative BMI (regression coefficient B = -7.33; P-value and 95% CI for B; 0.009 and -12.68- -1.98).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LSG can significantly improve BMI and could improve or resolve obesity associated co-morbidities like HTN and DM. LSG could be recommended for co-morbid obesity patients who fail to reach beneficial results from a structured weight loss programs.
authors: School of Medicine and Health Sciences-Public Health and Community Medicine Department, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine. halzabadi@gmail.com.
authors: Hamzeh
authors: H
authors: Al Zabadi
authors: Ahmad
authors: A
authors: Daqour
authors: Abdullah
authors: A
authors: Hawari
authors: Jihad
authors: J
authors: Hasouni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006753:Hospital Records; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East; D009765:Obesity / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult