Decision Regret after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy—5 Years’ Perspective

Introduction Patient's satisfaction after weight loss surgery is in the research spotlight. However, there are still no quantitative data regarding whether patients regret their decision to undergo laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Objectives The present study aimed to evaluate whether patients regret their decision to undergo SG 5 years after surgery. The secondary objective was to identify whether weight loss and a higher quality of life (QoL) score correlate with the regret expressed by patients. Setting Military Hospital, Poland Methods A telephone survey was carried out among patients 5 years after surgery. Patient satisfaction regarding their decision to undergo SG was assessed using the Decision Regret Scale. QoL scores were determined using the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Results One hundred and four patients who answered a full telephone survey were enrolled in the study. Change in body mass index (ΔBMI) was 12.31±6.2, excess body mass index loss (%EBMIL) was 55.45%±25.52%, and percent total weight loss (%TWL) was 25.20%±11.7%. At the 5-year postoperative telephone survey, the mean general health score was 50.96±14.0 and the mean regret score was 32.33±13.24 (range, 25–85). A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between %EBMIL and regret score (r=−0.435; pr=−0.205; p=0.040). Only eight patients (7.69%) scored >50 on the Decision Regret Scale, which was considered to represent overall regret for their decision. Conclusion Our study suggests that, in general, patients did not regret their decision to undergo SG. Key Points The majority of patients did not regret their decision to undergo SG. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between weight loss and patients’ feelings of regret. Energy/fatigue QoL was the strongest correlate of whether patients regretted their decision to undergo SG. Graphical Abstract