Weight loss and quality of life after bariatric surgery:: a study of 200 patients after vertical gastroplasty or adjustable gastric banding

Background and objectives: Long term evaluation of bariatric surgery must include quality of life measurement. Methods: Quality of life (QoL) was evaluated using the original Moorehead-Ardelt questionnaire for 200 patients operated for massive obesity in a single centre between 1994 and 2003. QoL and physical data were obtained by retrospective mail questionnaire. Surgical procedures were vertical-banded gastroplasty according to Mason (VBGM) and adjustable gastric banding (AGB) in 61 and 39% of patients, respectively. The aim of the study was to assess the nutritional outcome and QoL according to the procedure. Results: Overall, the body mass index (BMI) decreased from 50 +/- 8kg/m(2) before surgery to 35.2 +/- 7.5 kg/m(2) at the time of the questionnaire. The percentage of weight loss was 28.8 +/- 12.2%. In the group treated with VBGM, the mean initial weight (P=0.003) and the percentage of weight loss (P<0.001) were significantly higher, and the QoL was better (P=0.003) than in the group treated with AGB. On the basis of the time spent since surgery, a regular weight loss was observed during the first 5 years, whereas weight subsequently increased over the five following years. Similarly, the total QoL score gradually improved during the first 5 years and worsened thereafter. However, it remained better than before surgery. A linear regression analysis showed a positive correlation between the percentage of weight loss and the QoL score (P=0.001). Conclusions: This study suggests that the bariatric surgery, particularly the VBGM technique, improved the QoL of obese patients, at least in the first 5 years following surgery.