Soumia Belalia
Djilali Belkhenchir hospital, University of health sciences, Algeria
Abstract Title: Weight regain following sleeve gastrectomy: Etiologies and management strategies
Biography:
Dr. Soumia Belalia obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree at the age of 24 from the Faculty of Medicine of Algiers. She subsequently completed five years of specialized training in Internal Medicine at the University of Health Sciences in Algiers. She is currently an Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine and works in the Obesity and Metabolic Diseases Unit in Algiers. Her academic and clinical interests focus on obesity and metabolic disorders.
Research Interests:
Bariatric surgery is an effective intervention for achieving sustained weight loss in patients with obesity. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), a widely accepted and reliable procedure, contributes to both weight reduction and improvement of obesity-related cardiovascular comorbidities. However, like other bariatric procedures, LSG is associated with long-term weight regain, with prevalence increasing over time from 5.7% at 2 years to 75.6% at 6 years. In this study, we aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and etiologies of weight regain following LSG and to describe the management approaches used in these patients. A total of six patients (five women and one man) underwent LSG. The mean age was 48.5 ± 10.7 years. The mean body mass index (BMI) before LSG was 50.4 ± 5.2 kg/m², with a mean nadir BMI of 32.2 ± 3.2 kg/m². Weight loss was associated with improvement and/or remission of metabolic comorbidities, particularly hypertension and type 2 diabetes, in 3 out of 6 patients. The median percentage of weight regain was 43.3% , with a median interval of 23 months . The main contributors to weight regain were predominantly related to disordered eating behaviors. All patients were managed with lifestyle and dietary interventions, along with psychological support targeting disordered eating behaviors. In addition, GLP-1 receptor agonists were prescribed in 3 patients. Early identification of weight regain and the timely initiation of adjunctive therapies, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, may help prevent the recurrence of obesity-related comorbidities.
