Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Clinical Research

Long-term mortality in obese subjects undergoing malabsorptive surgery (biliopancreatic diversion and biliointestinal bypass) versus medical treatment

Abstract

Background and aim

Aim of this study was to analyze long-term mortality in obese patients receiving malabsorptive bariatric surgery (BS)[biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) and biliointestinal bypass (BIBP)] in comparison to medical treatment of obesity.

Patients and methods

Medical records of 1877 obese patients [body mass index (BMI) > 35 kg/m2, aged 18–65 years, undergoing BS (n = 472, 111 with diabetes) or non-surgical medical treatment (n = 1405, 385 with diabetes), during the period 1999–2008 (visit 1)] were collected; non-surgical patients were matched for age, sex, BMI, and blood pressure, and life status and causes of death were ascertained through December 2016. Survival was compared across surgery patients and non-surgical patients using Kaplan–Meier plots and Cox regression analyses.

Results

Observation period was 12.1 ± 3.41 years (mean ± SD). Compared to non-surgical patients, BS patients had reduced all-cause mortality (34/472 (7.2%) vs 181/1,405 (12.9%) patients, χ2 = 11.25, p = 0.001; HR = 0.64, 95% C.I. 0.43–0.93, p = 0.019). Cardiovascular and cancer causes of death were significantly less frequent in surgery vs no-surgery (HR = 0.26, 95% C.I. 0.09–0.72, p = 0.003; HR = 0.21, 95% C.I. 0.09–0.45, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Patients who have undergone BPD and BIBP have lower long-term all-cause, cardiovascular-caused and cancer-caused mortality compared to non-surgical medical weight-loss treatment patients. Malabsorptive bariatric surgery significantly reduces long-term mortality in severely obese patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, Jensen MD, Pories W, Fahrbach K, et al. Bariatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA . 2004;292:1724–37.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Buchwald H, Estok R, Fahrbach K, Banel D, Jensen MD, Pories WJ, et al. Weight and type 2 diabetes after bariatric surgery: systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2009;122:248–56.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Heneghan HM, Meron-Eldar S, Brethauer SA, Schauer PR, Young JB. Effect of bariatric surgery on cardio-vascular risk profile. Am J Cardiol. 2011;108:1499–507.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Romeo S, Maglio C, Burza MA, Pirazzi C, Sjöholm K, Jacobson P, et al. Cardiovascular events after bariatric surgery in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2012;35:2613–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Johnson BL, Blackhurst DW, Latham BB, Cull DL, Bour ES, Oliver TL, et al. Bariatric surgery is associated with a reduction in major macrovascular and microvascular complications in moderately to severely obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Am Coll Surg. 2013;216:545–56.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Busetto L, De Stefano F, Pigozzo S, Segato G, De Luca M, Favretti F. Long-term cardiovascular risk and coronary events in morbidly obese patients treated with laparoscopic gastric banding. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2014;10:112–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Chang SH, Stoll CR, Song J, Varela JE, Eagon CJ, Colditz GA. The effectiveness and risks of bariatric surgery: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis, 2003–2012. JAMA Surg. 2014;149:275–87.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Picot J, Jones J, Colquitt JL, Gospodarevskaya E, Loveman E, Baxter L, et al. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of bariatric (weight loss) surgery for obesity: a systematic review and economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess. 2009;13:1–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Keating CL, Dixon JB, Moodie ML, Peeters A, Bulfone L, Maglianno DJ, et al. Cost-effectiveness of surgically induced weight loss for the management of type 2 diabetes: modeled lifetime analysis. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:567–74.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Raaijmakers LC, Pouwels S, Thomassen SE, Nienhuijs SW. Quality of life and bariatric surgery: a systematic review of short- and long-term results and comparison with community norms. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2017;71:441–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. MacDonald KG Jr, Long SD, Swanson MS, Brown BM, Morris P, Dohm GL, et al. The gastric bypass operation reduces the progression and mortality of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Gastrointest Surg. 1997;1:213–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Christou NV, Sampalis JS, Liberman M, Look D, Auger S, McLean AP, et al. Surgery decreases long-term mortality, morbidity, and health care use in morbidly obese patients. Ann Surg. 2004;240:416–23.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Flum DR, Dellinger EP. Impact of gastric bypass operation on survival: a population-based analysis. J Am Coll Surg. 2004;199:543–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Sjöström L, Narbro K, Sjöström CD, Karason K, Larsson B, Wedel H, et al. Swedish Obese Subjects Study. Swedish obese patients study. Effects of bariatric surgery on mortality in Swedish obese patients. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:741–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Busetto L, Mirabelli D, Petroni ML, Mazza M, Favretti F, Segato G, et al. Comparative long-term mortality after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding versus nonsurgical controls. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2007;3:496–502.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Adams TD, Gress RE, Smith SC, Halverson RC, Simper SC, Rosamond WD, et al. Long-term-mortality after gastric bypass surgery. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:753–61.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Sowemimo OA, Yood SM, Courtney J, Moore J, Huang M, Ross R, et al. Natural history of morbid obesity without surgical intervention. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2007;3:73–77.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Peeters A, O’Brien PE, Laurie C, Anderson M, Wolfe R, Flum D, et al. Substantial intentional weight loss and mortality in the severely obese. Ann Surg. 2007;246:1028–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Pontiroli AE, Morabito A. Long-term prevention of mortality in morbid obesity through bariatric surgery. A systematic review and meta-analysis of trials performed with gastric banding and gastric bypass. Ann Surg. 2011;253:484–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Sjöström L, Peltonen M, Jacobson P, Sjöström CD, Karason K, Wedel H, et al. Bariatric surgery and long-term cardiovascular events. JAMA . 2012;307:56–65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Eriksson F. Biliointestinal bypass. Int J Obes. 1981;5:437–47.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Doldi SB, Lattuada E, Zappa MA, Pieri G, Restelli A, Micheletto G. Biliointestinal bypass: another surgical option. Obes Surg. 1998;8:566–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Del Genio G, Gagner M, Limongelli P, Tolone S, Pournaras D, le Roux CW, et al. Remission of type 2 diabetes in patients undergoing biliointestinal bypass for morbid obesity: a new surgical treatment. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2016;12:815–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Scopinaro N, Adami GF, Marinari GM, Gianetta E, Traverso E, Friedman D, et al. Biliopancreatic diversion. World J Surg. 1998;22:936–46.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Pontiroli AE, Zakaria AS, Mantegazza E, Morabito A, Saibene A, Mozzi E, et al. LAGB10 working group. Long-term mortality and incidence of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes in diabetic and nondiabetic obese patients undergoing gastric banding: a controlled study. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2016;15:39.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. National Institutes of Health. Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults: the evidence report. Obes Res. 1998;6(Suppl 2):51S–209S.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Levey AS, Coresh J, Greene T, Stevens LA, Zhang YL, Hendriksen S, et al. Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration. Using standardized serum creatinine values in the modification of diet in renal disease study equation for estimating glomerular filtration rate. Ann Intern Med. 2006;145:247–54.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Pontiroli AE, Folli F, Paganelli M, Micheletto G, Pizzocri P, Vedani P, et al. Laparoscopic gastric banding prevents type 2 diabetes and hypertension and induces their remission in morbid obesity: a 4-year case-controlled study. Diabetes Care. 2005;28:2703–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Pontiroli AE, Laneri M, Veronelli A, Frigè F, Micheletto G, Folli F, et al. Biliary pancreatic diversion and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in morbid obesity: their longterm effects on metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular parameters. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2009;8:37.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Rapporto OSMED. 2011. www.agenziafarmaco.it, www.epicentro.iss.it/farmaci. Accessed 22 June 2015..

  31. Corrao G, Ibrahim B, Nicotra F, Soranna D, Merlino L, Catapano AL, et al. Statins and the risk of diabetes: evidence from a large population-based cohort study. Diabetes Care. 2014;37:2225–32.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Mannino S, Villa M, Apolone G, Weiss NS, Groth N, Aquino I, et al. Effectiveness of adjuvanted influenza vaccination in elderly patients in northern Italy. Am J Epidemiol. 2012;176:527–33.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Bianchi M, Clavenna A, Sequi M, Bortolotti A, Fortino I, Merlino L, et al. Spirometry testing in a population of Italian children: age and gender differences. Respir Med. 2012;106:1383–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Parazzini F, Ricci E, Cipriani S, Chiaffarino F, Chiantera V, Bulfoni G. Temporal trend in the frequency of ectopic pregnancies in Lombardy, Italy. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2013;75:210–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Bilotta C, Franchi C, Nobili A, Nicolini P, Djade CD, Tettamanti M, et al. New prescriptions of spironolactone associated with angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors and/or angiotensin receptor blockers and their laboratory monitoring from 2001 to 2008: a population study on older people living in the community in Italy. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2013;69:909–17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Corrao G, Ibrahim B, Nicotra F, Zambon A, Merlino L, Pasini TS, et al. Long-term use of statins reduces the risk of hospitalization for dementia. Atherosclerosis. 2013;230:171–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Freedman LS. Tables of the number of patients required in clinical trials using the logrank test. Stat Med. 1982;1:121–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Schoenfeld DA. Sample-size formula for the proportional-hazards regression model. Biometrics. 1983;39:499–503.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Vandenbroucke JP, von Elm E, Altman DG, Gøtzsche PC, Mulrow CD, Pocock SJ, et al. STROBE Initiative. Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE): explanation and elaboration. PLoS Med. 2007;4:e297.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Johnson RJ, Johnson BL, Blackhurst DW, Bour ES, Cobb WS 4th, Carbonell AM 2nd, et al. Bariatric surgery is associated with a reduced risk of mortality in morbidly obese patients with a history of major cardiovascular events. Am Surg. 2012;78:685–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Davidson LE, Adams TD, Kim J, Jones JL, Hashibe M, Taylor D, et al. Association of patient age at gastric bypass surgery with long-term all-cause and cause-specific mortality. JAMA Surg. 2016;151:631–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  42. Maciejewski ML, Livingston EH, Smith VA, Kavee AL, Kahwati LC, Henderson WG, et al. Survival among high-risk patients after bariatric surgery. JAMA . 2011;305:2419–26.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Gribsholt SB, Thomsen RW, Svensson E, Richelsen B. Overall and cause-specific mortality after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: A nationwide cohort study. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2017;13:581–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Ceriani V, Cetta F, Pinna F, Pontiroli AE. Abnormal calcium, 25(OH)vitamin D, and parathyroid hormone after biliopancreatic diversion; correction through elongation of the common tract and reduction of the gastric pouch. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2016;12:805–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Ceriani V, Cetta F, Lodi T, Pinna F, Pontiroli AE. Clinical and metabolic effects of biliopancreatic diversion persist after reduction of the gastric pouch and elongation of the common alimentary tract. Preliminary report in a series of patients with a 10-year follow-up. Obes Surg. 2017;27:1493–500.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Buchwald H, Oien DM. Metabolic/bariatric surgery worldwide 2011. Obes Surg. 2013;23:427–36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Estimate of Bariatric Surgery Numbers, 2011-2017, http://asmbs.org/resources/estimate-of-bariatric-surgery-numbers.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Dr. Antonio G. Russo, Osservatorio Epidemiologico, ATS, Città Metropolitana di Milano, for the precious help in identifying causes of death of patients in the study. The LAGB10 working group includes people from Ospedale San Paolo (Annamaria Veronelli MD, Barbara Zecchini BSc, Ahmed Zakaria PhD, Francesca Frigè BSc, Luca Rossetti MD, Alberto Benetti MD, Maurizio Cristina MD, Ermanno Mantegazza BSc, Marco Fanchini BSc, Alberto Morabito PhD, Antonio E. Pontiroli MD), from IRCCS Policlinico (Enrico Mozzi MD), Ospedale San Raffaele (Alessandro Saibene MD, Michele Paganelli MD, Paola Vedani MD), from Istituto Clinico Sant’Ambrogio (Giancarlo Micheletto MD, Alessandro Giovanelli MD), from Istituto Multimedica (Valerio Ceriani, Chiara Osio), from Ospedale Civile, Magenta (Giuliano Sarro MD), from Istituto Humanitas Gavazzeni (Italo Nosari MD), and from the Health Districts (Maria Grazia Angeletti MD, Mariangela Autelitano MD, Luca Cavalieri d’Oro MD, Piergiorgio Berni MD, Antonio G. Russo MD).

Author contributions

VC, GS, CO, GM, AG performed all bariatric procedures, searched data, contributed to discussion; ASZ, MF, IN searched data, prepared the database, contributed to analysis, contributed to discussion; AM performed statistical analysis, contributed to discussion; AEP planned the research, contributed to discussion, wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

Università degli Studi di Milano, Ospedale San Paolo, Istituto Multimedica, Ospedale di Magenta, Istituto Humanitas Gavazzeni, INCO-Istituto Clinico Sant’Ambrogio. Grant “Ricerca Corrente” to Istituto Multimedica from Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health), Italy

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Consortia

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio E. Pontiroli.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ceriani, V., Sarro, G., Micheletto, G. et al. Long-term mortality in obese subjects undergoing malabsorptive surgery (biliopancreatic diversion and biliointestinal bypass) versus medical treatment. Int J Obes 43, 1147–1153 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-018-0244-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-018-0244-5

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links