Gender Differences in the Outcomes of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG)

Background: Identifying differences between genders regarding long-term surgical outcomes in bariatric surgeries may be important for optimizing their results. Objective: The current study evaluated mid-term gender-specific differences in patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was done in our university-based hospital, including patients who underwent laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) between January 2014 and December 2017. We compared demographics and clinical history (including BMI) before and after surgery, as well as the Bariatric Analysis and Reporting Outcome System (BAROS) and complications. Results: We enrolled 217 patients, 86 of whom were males (39.6%), with an average age of 52 ± 0.8 years. We observed no significant differences between males and females in minimal BMI attained (26.35 ± 4.9 vs. 25.9 ± 4.5 respectively, p = 0.56), total complications rate (p = 0.165), early post-op complication rate (p = 0.158), need for re-operation (p = 0.357), and BAROS score (p = 0.42). Conclusions: LSG outcomes were similar for male and female patients, as measured by BAROS, BMI reduction, and complication rates. Further studies are warranted; however, in the meantime, LSG can be offered to the entire population, regardless of gender-specific considerations.