Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hypothalamic obesity can be associated with multiple co-morbidie and is difficult to treatment\. There is little evidence regarding the effectiveness of currently available treatment for weight loss. We looked at the role of bariatric surgery on weight loss in patients with hypothalamic obesity at St George’s Hospital, London.

Methods: Six patients with hypothalamic obesity had bariatric surgery. All patients had associated endocrine deficit secondary to pituitary disease. Patients were evaluated at 12–18 months postoperatively.

Findings: The average age of the patients was 42 years. Patients had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. Greatest weight loss was achieved with the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. lost an average of 29.3% of their original bodyweight. Patients with gastric sleeve procedure lost an average of 25.1%.

Weight loss ranged from 19.8 to 66.9 kg. Despite, all comorbidities, all the patients achieved significant weight loss.

Conclusion: Bariatric surgery can be offered as an effective treatment for hypothalamic obesity. It produces substantial weight loss. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass appears to achieve better weight loss when compared to the gastric sleeve. A long-term study to see the effectiveness of bariatric surgery and its effects on hormonal replacement is warranted.