[Quality of food intake after bariatric surgery: vertical gastrectomy versus gastric bypass]

Abstract

Introduction: The different bariatric surgical techniques have an influence on food tolerance and the presence of vomiting. There have been few studies on the impact of these techniques on the quality of food intake.

Patients and method: A prospective and comparative study was performed on a consecutive patient cohort operated on due to morbid obesity between May 2008 and November 2010. The quality of the diet was evaluated before and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months postoperatively, using the questionnaire described by Suter et al.

Results: One hundred and five patients (64 vertical gastrectomy [VG] and 41 gastric bypass [GB]) completed the questionnaire before the surgery, and 87 at 3 months, 79 at 6 months, 53 at 12 months, and 18 at 24 months after surgery. The overall score of the questionnaire before surgery was 23.5 ± 2.6, with a significant difference at 3 months (20.4 ± 3.8, P<.001), at 6 months (21.3 ± 4.6, P<.001) and at 12 months (22.4 ± 3.3, P<.044), and with no difference at 24 months (23.2 ± 2.5, P<.622), after surgery. On comparing food intake of VG versus GB, the scores were similar before surgery (23.8 ± 2.4 vs 23.0 ± 2.8, P<.125) as well as in the post-surgical follow up at 3 months (20.5 ± 3,9 vs 20.2 ± 3.7, P<.599), 6 months (21.1 ± 5.3 vs 21.7 ± 3.4, P<.243), 12 months (22.3 ± 3.3 vs 22.7 ± 3.4, P<.140) and 24 months (22.9 ± 3.0 vs 23.6 ± 2.2, P = 1.00).

Conclusions: The worsening of the quality of food intake is common in the first months after bariatric surgery, gradually improving and with no differences being seen between VG and GB.