Favorable Changes in Cardiac Geometry and Function Following Gastric Bypass Surgery: 2-Year Follow-up in the Utah Obesity Study

Objectives The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that gastric bypass surgery (GBS) would favorably impact cardiac remodeling and function. Background GBS is increasingly used to treat severe obesity, but there are limited outcome data. Methods We prospectively studied 423 severely obese patients undergoing GBS and a reference group of severely obese subjects that did not have surgery (n = 733). Results At a 2-year follow up, GBS subjects had a large reduction in body mass index compared with the reference group (−15.4 ± 7.2 kg/m 2 vs. −0.03 ± 4.0 kg/m 2 ; p Conclusions Marked weight loss in patients undergoing GBS was associated with reverse cardiac remodeling and improved LV and RV function. These data support the use of bariatric surgery to prevent cardiovascular complications in severe obesity.