Background

The efficacy of anti-obesity medications (AOM) for preoperative weight loss has been well studied in patients undergoing primary bariatric surgery though there is a paucity of data in patients undergoing revisional surgery. We aim to compare the efficacy of AOM between these two groups

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients who had been prescribed AOM for preoperative weight loss for primary and revisional bariatric surgery from 2017 to 2022 at a single academic bariatric surgery center.

Results

Of 70 patients identified, 53 (34.6%) received AOM for preoperative weight loss in primary bariatric surgery, 17 (11.1%) for preoperative weight loss in revisional bariatric surgery. Mean age in primary and revisional patients at the initial visit to the medical weight loss clinic was 43.0 years vs. 47.3 years (p=0.51) and mean BMI 48.6 kg/m2 vs. 41.0 kg/m2 (p<0.01). The average duration of time between dates of the initial visit and primary and revisional surgery was 466 days vs. 657 days (p=0.077). Preoperative weight changes in primary and revisional groups was -8.9 lb vs. -1.3 lb (p=0.28) representing a mean BMI percentage change of -2.3% vs. -1.1% (p=0.26), respectively. 2.3 AOM vs. 2.1 AOM were prescribed in primary and revisional groups (p=0.57) with adverse drug reactions occurring in 23 vs. 2 patients, (p<0.05) respectively.

Conclusions

There appears to be no significant difference in preoperative weight loss between primary and revisional bariatric surgical patients, though adverse drug reactions may occur more commonly in primary bariatric surgery patients.