A groundbreaking study reveals that metabolic obesity surgery can be safely performed on obese patients aged 55 and older, effectively improving major metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
This procedure, which reduces stomach volume or alters the path of food through the small intestine, leads to weight loss and improvements in blood sugar control, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. It has proven effective not only for severely obese patients but also as a treatment option for type 2 diabetes.
Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital announced on Friday that a research team, including Dr. Kim Sang-hyun and Dr. Lee Yun-taek from Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, published these findings in the Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research, the official journal of the Korean Surgical Society, in May.
The team analyzed 410 patients who underwent metabolic obesity surgery at six Korean hospitals from January to December 2019. The study included 39 patients over 55 and 371 under 55. Researchers compared surgical safety, weight loss effects, and improvements in comorbidities one year post-surgery between the two groups.
Results showed no significant differences between the groups in surgical time, hospital stay, complication rates, reoperation and readmission rates, or mortality. The overall complication rate was 12.8% for older patients and 7.5% for younger ones, a statistically insignificant difference. Notably, there were no surgical-related deaths in either group.
The research team concluded that with proper preoperative assessments and systematic management, obesity surgery can be safely performed even in older patients.
The study also confirmed improvements in metabolic diseases. One year post-surgery, 54.5% of older patients maintained normal blood sugar levels without medication, compared to 79.5% of younger patients.
For dyslipidemia, 12.5% of older patients maintained normal levels without medication, versus 44.4% in the younger group. Regarding hypertension, 34.6% of older patients maintained normal blood pressure without medication, compared to 57.5% of younger patients.
While the older group had a slightly lower rate of complete disease resolution, when including patients who showed significant improvement or reduced medication needs, over 90% in both groups demonstrated clear improvements in metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
Dr. Kim emphasized that this study proves that metabolic obesity surgery can be safely performed on obese patients over 55. It should consider active treatment based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s overall health and comorbidities, rather than limiting surgery solely based on age.
Dr. Lee added that the findings confirm that metabolic obesity surgery in older patients significantly helps prevent complications beyond mere weight loss. The notable improvement in metabolic diseases for most patients is a clinically significant outcome.
The research team included Drs. Kim and Lee, along with Drs. Lee Han-hong and Seo Ho-seok from Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Dr. Park Young-seok from Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Dr. Son Sang-yong from Ajou University Hospital, and Dr. Lee Chang-min from Korea University Ansan Hospital.
