Integrated health articleOlder bariatric surgery candidates: is there greater psychological risk than for young and midlife candidates?
Section snippets
Participants
Participants were included if they had undergone weight loss surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the analysis and had ≥2 scheduled follow-up visits at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months postoperatively. Of the larger sample of 948 participants, 608 were selected that fit the following age categories: young adult (18–29 yr; n = 82), midlife (40–55 yr; n = 460), and older adult (≥65 yr; n = 70). Most patients were women (74.6%) and white (75.6%; 20.9% black). The mean
Results
The groups differed by surgery type [Chi-square (4, 608) = 26.71, P < .001]. Midlife patients were more likely to have undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (70.5% versus 62% of young adult patients versus 51% of older patients), laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding was more common in older patients (35.7% versus 20% of young adult and 14.2% of midlife patients), and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy was more common in young adult patients (17.5% versus 14.2% of midlife patients and 11.4% of
Discussion
These findings indicate that older adults show equivalent weight loss and do not demonstrate any increased psychological risk factors compared with young adult and midlife surgical candidates. Young adult patients demonstrated greater %EBMI loss compared with midlife patients in the first 6 months; however, this effect was no longer significant in the year after this point, and equivalent weight loss benefits were noted at all points for older patients consistent with other studies [8], [9].
Conclusion
Although medical risk factors could cause concern, these findings indicate that older adults do not demonstrate any increased psychological risk factors over young adult or midlife surgical candidates. Equivalent weight loss benefits were also found. Older patients were less likely to have a past suicide attempt and were more likely to attend follow-up appointments with their surgeon and dietitian. However, psychologists rated their consent and expectations less favorably than younger cohorts,
Disclosures
The authors have no commercial associations that might be a conflict of interest in relation to this article.
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