Outcomes of Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery in the Elderly Population

There have been limited data on the safety of laparoscopic bariatric surgery in the elderly. To compare outcomes of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) between elderly (>= 65 years) and nonelderly (18-64 years) patients. Using the 2011 to 2015 NSQIP database, we analyzed severely obese patients who underwent LRYGB or LSG. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess primary outcomes including 30-day mortality, serious morbidity, length of stay, and readmission. There were 41,475 LRYGB cases performed, including 2,010 (4.8%) cases in elderly patients. Compared with the nonelderly, elderly patients who underwent LRYGB had higher serious morbidity [odds ratio (OR) = 1.43, confidence interval (CI) = 1.16-1.76, P = 0.0011, but similar 30-day mortality (OR = 0.8, CI = 0.28-2.34, P = 0.688). There were 44,550 LSG cases performed, including 2,055 (4.6%) cases in elderly patients. Compared with the nonelderly, elderly patients who underwent LSG had significantly higher serious morbidity (OR = 1.44, CI = 1.12-1.84, P = 0.005) and higher 30-day mortality (OR = 3.62, CI = 1.34-9.83, P = 0.011). Laparoscopic bariatric surgery is safe in the elderly population, and is similar between bariatric procedures. However, elderly patients have higher serious morbidity; therefore, they should be counseled regarding their higher risk, but should not be denied bariatric surgery based solely on their age.