Preoperative medically supervised weight loss programs and weight loss outcomes following bariatric surgery - a prospective analysis

Background: Prior to undergoing bariatric surgery, many insurance companies require patients to attend medically supervised weight management visits for 3-6 months to be eligible for surgery. There have been few studies that have looked specifically at the relationship between medically supervised weight management visit attendance and postoperative outcomes, and the current literature reports discrepant findings. Objectives: This project aimed to better characterize the relationship between preoperative medically supervised weight management visit attendance and postoperative weight loss outcomes by examining weight loss up to 5 years postbariatric surgery, and by stratifying findings according to the type of surgery undergone. Setting: University Hospital. Methods: Participants were recruited during presurgical bariatric surgery clinic visits at a bariatric and metabolic weight loss center. As part of standard of care all participants were required to participate in monthly medically supervised weight management visits before surgery. Participants who completed bariatric surgical procedures participated in postsurgical follow-up at 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and then annually for 5 years. Weight outcomes measured were percentage of total weight lost. Results: The results do not indicate a significant association between number of group visits attended and percent total weight loss at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, or 5 years postbariatric surgery. Conclusions: These data do not suggest a relationship between engagement in a medically supervised weight loss program prior to bariatric surgery and weight loss after surgery in either the shortor the long-term. (Surg Obes Relat Dis 2024;20:165-172.) (c) 2024 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.