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Alexithymia and weight loss in obese patients underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Obesity is a multifactorial disease characterized by genetic, social, cultural and psychological factors. Currently, bariatric surgery represents the gold-standard intervention to treat morbid obesity in order to counteract associated disabling comorbidities. Several studies showed correlation between post-surgery weight loss and psychological factors. Also, the alexithymia may have a role in affecting post-surgery outcomes in bariatric patients, even if there are no studies investigating its role at 12-month follow-up. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between alexithymia and the postoperative weight loss 12 months after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Methods

Seventy-five patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy were enrolled. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was administered to patients. A postoperative weight loss check was performed at 3 and then 12 months after surgery.

Results

The TAS-20 total score was negatively correlated with the percent of excess weight loss (%EWL) at the 12-month follow-up (r = −0.24; p = 0.040). The analysis showed that non-alexithymic patients had a greater weight loss at 12 months after surgery compared to both probably alexithymics (71.88 ± 18.21 vs. 60.7 ± 12.5; p = 0.047) and probably alexithymic patients (71.88 ± 18.21 vs. 56 ± 22.8; p = 0.007). The preoperative BMI was a significant covariate [F(1,70) = 6.13 (p = 0.016)].

Conclusion

In the present study, the patients with higher preoperative BMI and identified as alexithymic showed lower %EWL at 12 months after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Findings point out the importance to take into consideration possible psychological treatments focused on improving emotional regulations of patients who are seeking bariatric surgery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Polo Pontino, Bariatric Center of Excellence IFSO-EU, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Emanuela Paone & Gianfranco Silecchia

  2. Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Laura Pierro, Angela Damico & Carlo Lai

  3. Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, A. Gemelli University Hospital Rome, Rome, Italy

    Paola Aceto

  4. Division of Surgery, Ospedale San Giovanni Decollato, Andosilla, Civita Castellana, VT, Italy

    Fabio Cesare Campanile

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  1. Emanuela Paone
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  2. Laura Pierro
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  3. Angela Damico
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  4. Paola Aceto
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  5. Fabio Cesare Campanile
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  7. Carlo Lai
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Correspondence to Carlo Lai.

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Funding

Emanuela Paone, Laura Pierro, Angela Damico, Paola Aceto, Fabio Cesare Campanile, Gianfranco Silecchia, Carlo Lai declare that no funding source is involved in this study.

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On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual patients included in the study.

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Paone, E., Pierro, L., Damico, A. et al. Alexithymia and weight loss in obese patients underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Eat Weight Disord 24, 129–134 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-017-0381-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-017-0381-1

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