title: Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Improves Olfaction Sensitivity in Morbidly Obese Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Olfactory abilities of the patients are known to be altered by eating and metabolic disorders, including obesity. There are only a number of studies investigating the effect of obesity on olfaction, and there is limited data on the changes in olfactory abilities of morbidly obese patients after surgical treatment. Here we investigated the changes in olfactory abilities of 54 morbidly obese patients (M/F, 22/32; age range 19-57 years; body mass index (BMI) range 30.5-63.0 kg/m(2)) after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy was performed by the same surgeon using five-port technique. Olfactory abilities were tested preoperatively and 1, 3, and 6 months after the surgery using a standardized Sniffin' Sticks Extended Test kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses of variance indicated statistically significant improvement in T, D, and I scores of morbidly obese patients within time factors (preoperative vs. 1, 3, and 6 months; 1 vs. 3 and 6 months; and 3 vs. 6 months; p < 0.001 for all). There was a statistically significant improvement in overall TDI scores with an increase from 25 to 41 during the 6 months follow-up period (p < 0.001 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here, for the first time in literature, we were able to show the significant improvement in olfactory abilities of morbidly obese patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
authors.affiliation: Ear Nose and Throat Clinic, Liv Hospital, Ulus, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hancı
authors.affiliation: Ear Nose and Throat Clinic, Yunus Emre Hospital, Uskudar, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Clinic, Liv Hospital, Ulus, Istanbul, Turkey. haltun@hotmail.com.tr.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Clinic, Liv Hospital, Ulus, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burcin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Batman
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Clinic, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital, Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aziz Bora
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Karip
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Clinic, Liv Hospital, Ulus, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kursat Rahmi
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Serin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bariatric surgery; Obesity; Obesity surgery; Olfaction; Sleeve gastrectomy; Smell