Defining postoperative weight change after pancreatectomy: Factors associated with distinct and dynamic weight trajectories

Weight change offers the simplest indication of a patient’s recovery after an operation. There have been no studies that have thoroughly investigated postoperative weight dynamics after pancreatectomy. The aim of this study was to define postoperative weight change after a pancreatectomy and determine factors associated with optimal and poor weight trajectories. From 2004 to 2019, 1,090 proximal (65%) and distal (35%) pancreatectomies were performed in patients with adequate data in the medical records. Patient weights were acquired preoperatively and at postoperative months 1, 3, and 12. Optimal (top quartile, weight restoration) and poor (bottom quartile, persistent weight loss) postoperative weight cohorts were identified at 1 year postoperatively. The median percentage weight change 1 year postpancreatectomy was –6.6% (interquartile range: –1.4% to –12.5%), –7.8% for proximal pancreatectomy, and –4.2% for distal pancreatectomy. For most patients (interquartile range cohort), the median percentage weight change at 1, 3, and 12 months was –6.2%, –7.2%, and –6.6%. The independent factors associated with weight restoration were age