Improvement in body composition of adult post-bariatric surgery patients at one-year follow-up at a public hospital in United Arab Emirates

Background: Data on postoperative follow-ups and bariatric surgery (BS) outcomes performed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are crucial for registry. This study assessed the one-year postoperative changes in body composition and metabolic profiles in BS patients. Methods: The medical and dietetics records of 51 adult patients who underwent BS in the largest public hospital in Sharjah, UAE were reviewed. Data on body weight and composition, as well as metabolic profile (blood glucose and lipid levels) from the initial until the last hospital visit were recorded. Results: The median (interquartile range) follow-up period was 6.0 (8.0) months. The patients had significant total weight loss [19.3 (12.6)%] and reduction in body mass index (BMI) [18.0 (13.6)%] of approximately 7 BMI points. Moreover, the patients’ body composition improved significantly; loss was the highest in fat mass [-30.9 (22.1)%] and the least in lean body mass [-8.6 (8.4)%]. There was a steady decline in all body composition variables with a longer duration of follow-up visits from 1-3 months to 10-12 months. The fat mass (-40.3%):lean body mass (-10.7%) loss ratio was 3.8:1 at 10-12 months. The patients’ metabolic status was normal during the last postoperative visit. Conclusions: Incremental improvements in body composition of patients were evident with longer follow-up visits up to one year after BS. Hence, patients should attend regular follow-up visits after BS. Moreover, accurate and complete documentations of medical and dietetics visits are mandated.