ASMBS Conference Coverage

Sleeve Gastrectomy Linked to Fewer Early Eating-Related Symptoms Than RYGB

Miranda Manier, BA

Key Highlights:

  • Patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG) reported fewer eating-related symptoms (pain, nausea) than those who had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in the first 12 months post-op.
  • SG patients had higher median BODY-Q symptom scores, indicating better postoperative symptom health.
  • These findings support incorporating symptom profiles into preoperative counseling.

A study presented at the 2025 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Annual Meeting found that patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG) reported fewer eating-related symptoms during the first 12 months postoperatively compared with those who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Survey results showed that patients who underwent experienced significantly less pain, nausea, and overall symptom burden during early recovery.

While metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is known to improve long-term health outcomes, previous studies using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have yielded inconsistent findings regarding postoperative symptoms. This study sought to compare validated eating-related PROMs between those who underwent SG and patients who had RYGB to better understand early recovery symptom profiles.

Researchers administered the BODY-Q eating-related (ER) questionnaire to all patients who underwent MBS presenting for evaluation between February 2023 and October 2024. The BODY-Q is a validated tool that assesses ER behaviors (eg, feeling out of control), distress (eg, feeling embarrassed), and symptoms (eg, pain or bloating) on a 0–100 scale, with higher scores indicating better health. Patients completed the questionnaire at multiple time points, including preoperatively and across six postoperative intervals up to more than 36 months. Median scores were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test, with statistical significance set at P < .05.

The analysis included 2556 surveys, with a database compliance rate of 78%. Patients who underwent RYGB had lower median ER symptom scores than those who underwent SG at both 0–6 months (71.0 [57.0–85.0] vs 76.0 [61.0–91.0]; P < .01) and 6–12 months (71.0 [58.0–84.0] vs 79.0 [57.5–100.5]; P < .01). Additionally, those who underwent RYGB were more likely to report pain (50.3% vs 35.9% at 0–6 months; 47.3% vs 25.6% at 6–12 months; both P < .01) and nausea (51.0% vs 34.3% at 0–6 months; 50.9% vs 25.6% at 6–12 months; both P < .01) than their SG counterparts.

“SG patients report fewer ER-symptoms within the first 12 postoperative months compared to RYGB patients,” the authors concluded. “These findings should be incorporated into preoperative counseling to help patients make informed decisions between the two procedures.”

Reference:
Petcka N, Wu J, Oyefule O, et al. Sleeve gastrectomy is associated with fewer patient-reported eating-related symptoms compared to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Paper presented at: American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery 2025 Annual Meeting; June 15-19, 2025; Washington, DC. Accessed June 12, 2025. https://www.asmbsmeeting.com/event/2025/welcome