Multimodal approach utilising a weight management programme prior to bariatric surgery in patients with BMI ≥50 kg/m 2 : A propensity score matching retrospective cohort study

We evaluated preoperative weight loss and days from initial consult to surgery in patients with BMI ≥50 kg/m who were and were not enrolled in medical weight management (MWM) prior to laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. We retrospectively identified patients with BMI ≥50 kg/m who had primary sleeve gastrectomy between 2014 and 2019 at two bariatric surgery centres in our healthcare system. Patients presenting after 2017 that received preoperative MWM (n = 28) were compared to a historical cohort of non-MWM patients (n = 118) presenting prior to programme initiation in 2017 on preoperative percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) and days from initial consult to surgery. A total of 151 patients (MWM, 33; non-MWM, 118) met inclusion criteria. BMI was significantly greater in MWM versus non-MWM (p = .018). After propensity score matching, median BMI at initial consult in non-MWM versus MWM no longer differed (p = .922) neither were differences observed on the basis of weight, age, sex, race or ethnicity. After PSM, MWM had significantly lower BMI at surgery (p = .018), lost significantly more weight from consult to surgery (p