Effect of the Presence or Eradication of Helicobacter pylori on Weight Loss in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy due to Obesity: A Retrospective Study.

Background: The efficacy of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has been demonstrated in the treatment of obesity. No studies have evaluated the effect of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication on weight loss in patients undergoing LSG. Considering the prevalence of H. pylori infection, we think that the majority of the H. pylori-negative patients in studies investigating this association actually consisted of patients who had been eradicated.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the possible relationship between the presence and eradication of H. pylori preoperatively and based on weight data after LSG.

Methods: A total of 191 (58%) patients with available pre- and postoperative H. pylori data and regular follow-up records were included among 329 patients who underwent LSG for obesity. The H. pylori positive, negative, and eradicated groups were evaluated. Preoperative body mass index (BMI) and postoperative data, the time to reach the lowest weight, the lowest BMI achieved, the current BMI, the maximum percentage of excess weight loss (EWL%), the current EWL%, and follow-up data were compared.

Results: A total of 118 (61.8%) of the patients were H. pylori positive preoperatively, and 40 (20.9%) were positive postoperatively. According to their H. pylori status, 73 (38.2%) patients were negative, 78 (40.8%) were eradicated, and 40 (21%) were positive. According to the three-group analyses, no statistically significant relationship was found between the H. pylori infection status or weight and time.

Conclusion: We found that the preoperative presence, absence, or eradication of H. pylori did not affect the time needed to reach the lowest weight after the operation, the lowest BMI achieved, the current BMI, the maximum EWL%, or the current EWL% in patients who underwent LSG for obesity.