• Dan Eisenberg, Anna Bellatorre, and Nina Bellatorre.
• Department of Surgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. daneisenberg@stanford.edu
• JSLS. 2013 Jan 1; 17 (1): 63-7.

BackgroundThe laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is emerging as an effective bariatric operation and is especially attractive in high-risk populations. In this study we examine the efficacy of LSG as a stand-alone operation in the veteran population.MethodsThis is a retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent LSG as a stand-alone procedure at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs medical center with a minimum 12-month follow-up.ResultsOf 205 patients undergoing bariatric surgery, 71 patients had a sleeve gastrectomy, 40 of whom had the operation performed at least 12 months previously. Thirty-six (90%) were available for 1-year follow-up, with a mean follow-up duration of 22 months (range: 12-42), a mean body mass index of 48.3 kg/m(2), and an 83% male population. Mean percent excess weight loss was 61% at an average of 22 months, with no significant difference between severely obese, morbidly obese, and super obese cohorts. Diabetes remission was seen in 56% of patients, hypertension remission in 51.6%, and obstructive sleep apnea remission in 46.4%, and gastroesophageal reflux disease improved or did not change in 83%. Medication use significantly decreased after surgery.ConclusionLSG is safe and effective as a stand-alone bariatric operation in the high-risk veteran population. It is effective in severely obese, morbidly obese, and super obese patients. LSG induces remission or improvement in comorbidities of nearly all patients, translating to a decrease in medication use.

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