Weight Loss Surgery Improves Long-term Quality of Life, Study Shows

CLEVELAND – Studies have shown weight loss, or bariatric, surgery can effectively help people lose weight and control Type 2 diabetes, compared to medical therapy alone.

Now, a Cleveland Clinic study suggests people who have had bariatric surgery also report better physical health and quality of life five years later.

“In addition to substantial and sustained weight loss and remarkable improvement in type 2 diabetes after bariatric and metabolic surgery, these surgical procedures have added benefit and that includes improvement in various aspects of quality of life, including less body pain, more energy, and less fatigue, better physical health in surgical patients,” explained Ali Aminian, MD, Director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Aminian and his team studied just over 100 people who had been part of the STAMPEDE trial – a study comparing weight loss surgery with medical therapy to control obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Researchers examined questionnaires which were given to participants annually over the course of five years.

Results show long-term emotional health was not significantly different between the surgical and medical groups. However, people who had weight loss surgery reported greater physical health, less pain, more energy and fewer negative effects of diabetes in daily life.

“We found that significant weight loss and being independent of insulin in patients who used to be on insulin before surgery were the main predictors of improvement in quality of life metrics,” said Dr. Aminian.

Complete results can be found in the Annals of Surgery.