Bariatric surgery in patients with pulmonary hypertension

Hanipah ZN 1 , Mulcahy MJ 2 , Sharma G 3 , Punchai S 4 , Steckner K 5 , Dweik R 6 Show all authors , Aminian A 3 , Schauer PR 3 , Brethauer SA 7

Affiliations 

  • 1 Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, Department of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 2 Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, Department of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Deparment of Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
  • 3 Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, Department of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
  • 4 Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, Department of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
  • 5 Department of General Anesthesiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
  • 6 Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
  • 7 Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, Department of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address: sbrethauer@gmail.com
Surg Obes Relat Dis, 2018 Oct;14(10):1581-1586.
PMID: 30449514 DOI: 10.1016/j.soard.2018.07.015

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Data regarding the outcomes of bariatric surgery in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) is limited. The aim of this study was to review our experience on bariatric surgery in patients with PH.

SETTING: An academic medical center.

METHODS: Patients with PH who underwent either a primary or revisional bariatric surgery between 2005 and 2015 and had a preoperative right ventricle systolic pressure (RVSP) ≥35 mm Hg were included.

RESULTS: Sixty-one patients met the inclusion criteria. Fifty (82%) were female with the median age of 58 years (interquartile range [IQR] 49-63). The median body mass index was 49 kg/m2 (IQR 43-54). Procedures performed included the following: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n = 33, 54%), sleeve gastrectomy (n = 24, 39%), adjustable gastric banding (n = 3, 5%), and banded gastric plication (n = 1, 2%). Four patients (7%) underwent revisional bariatric procedures. Median operative time and length of stay was 130 minutes (IQR 110-186) and 3 days (IQR 2-5), respectively. The 30-day complication rate was 16% (n = 10) with pulmonary complications noted in 4 patients. There was no 30-day mortality. One-year follow-up was available in 93% patients (n = 57). At 1 year, median body mass index and excess weight loss were 36 kg/m2 (IQR 33-41) and 51% (IQR 33-68), respectively. There was significant improvement in the RVSP after bariatric surgery at a median follow-up of 22 months (IQR 10-41). The median RVSP decreased from 44 (IQR 38-53) to 40 mm Hg (IQR 28-54) (P = .03).

CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery can be performed without prohibitive complication rates in patients with PH. In our experience, bariatric patients with PH achieved significant weight loss and improvement in RVSP.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

MeSH terms
Similar publications