Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Short-Term Results After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

BACKGROUND: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has led several countries worldwide to confine the population. Consequently, people’s mobility and physical activity are limited in addition to a negative psychosocial effect. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 crisis on short-term weight loss and the remission of obesity-associated comorbidities in patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (SG). METHODS: A case-control study was conducted comparing percentage of total weight loss (%TWL), excess weight lost (%EWL), and the remission rate of obesity-related comorbidities at the first postoperative year between patients who underwent primary SG between June 2019 and October 2019 (1-year postoperative period affected by COVID-19 lockdown; COV-group), and a control group operated between June 2018 and October 2018 (1-year postoperative period not affected by COVID-19 lockdown; CONTROL-group). RESULTS: In total, 45 patients from COV-group were compared to 57 patients from CONTROL-group. Demographic data were similar between groups. The follow-up rate at 1 year was 100%. The mean %TWL and %EWL was lower at 28.2 ± 12.7% and 67.6 ± 23.5% in COV-group patients compared to 34.3 ± 14.1% and 78.3 ± 27.2% in CONTROL-group patients at 1 year from SG (p=0.025 and p=0.036, respectively). The remission rate of obesity-related comorbidities at 1 year from SG including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was 57.1%, 60.0%, 71.4%, and 41.7% in COV-group and 66.7%, 72.4%, 85.3%, and 52.9% in CONTROL-group, respectively, without any statistically significant difference between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 lockdown had a negative effect on weight loss in the first year after SG. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results, and we are expecting for a longer follow-up to evaluate the long-term impact on weight loss and comorbidities.