A Critical Snapshot of Preoperative Comorbidity Burden in Bariatric Candidates at a Specialized Bariatric Center, Tripoli, Libya (2022)

Abstract

Background: Bariatric surgery is the definitive treatment for morbid obesity and its associated comorbidities. Although its efficacy is well established globally, local data describing patient characteristics and disease burden in regional contexts, such as Libya, remain limited.

Aim: To describe the clinical profile and comorbidity burden of patients undergoing bariatric surgery at the Preventive Medicine Hospital in Tripoli, Libya.

Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study analyzing the medical records of 60 consecutive patients who underwent bariatric surgery at the Preventive Medicine Hospital in Tripoli throughout 2022. Data collected included demographics, preoperative Body Mass Index (BMI), and the prevalence of four major obesity-related comorbidities (DM, HTN, GERD, OSA). Continuous data are reported as Mean $\pm$ SD.

Results: The mean age of the cohort was 42.1 ± 9.5 years, with 66.1% being female. The mean preoperative BMI was 44.2 ± 5.1 kg/m². The average comorbidity burden was 1.93 ± 1.25 major conditions per patient. The most prevalent comorbidities were GERD (55.0%), OSA (52.5%), and DM (50.8%).

Conclusion: Patients undergoing bariatric surgery in this Libyan cohort demonstrated severe obesity and a high burden of obesity-related comorbidities. The high prevalence of GERD, OSA, and DM underscores the need for comprehensive, multidisciplinary preoperative evaluation and optimization to minimize surgical risk and improve postoperative outcomes.