OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy(LSG) on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patient with a body mass index(BMI) less than 40 kg/m.

METHODSTwenty four obese patients with T2DM and BMI less than 40 kg/mreceived LSG between 1 January 2011 and 1 September 2013 at the Department of General Surgery in Chinese PLA General Hospital. The clinical data and 3-year follow-up outcomes regarding weight loss and remission of diabetes were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSThere were 10 males and 14 females with a median age of 40.8(35 to 48) years. The preoperative body weight and BMI was(99.9±15.0) kg and (34.4±2.8) kg/m, respectively. The median duration of type 2 diabetes was 4.3(2 to 15) years. The preoperative fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin(HbAlc) was (11.4±1.3) mmol/L and (8.7±0.8)%, respectively. All these patients were preoperatively diagnosed as T2DM by the multidisciplinary experts of the surgical treatment team for obesity and diabetes in our center. All these patients were eligible for surgical treatment through the screening and evaluation by the multidisciplinary joint outpatient service. All the procedures were successfully completed without conversion to laparotomy. There were no severe postoperative complications. The mean fasting blood glucose was (6.4±1.8) mmol/L, (6.1±1.7) mmol/L, (6.0±1.5) mmol/L, (5.9±1.4) mmol/L and (6.0±1.4) mmol/L, respectively, at 6, 9, 12, 24 and 36 months after operation. The mean HbA1c in the same observation intervals was (6.6±1.1)%, (6.2±1.2)%, (6.1±1.2)%, (6.0±1.3)% and (6.1±1.3)%, respectively. The body weight was (89.4±11.4) kg, (86.3±10.6) kg, (83.1±10.2) kg,(80.6±9.8) kg and (81.3±10.1) kg, respectively. The corresponding BMI was (30.8±1.6) kg/m, (29.8±1.5) kg/m, (28.7±1.5) kg/m, (27.8±1.8) kg/mand (28.1±1.8) kg/m, respectively. The %EWL was (36.7±8.7)%, (47.6±12.5)%, (58.8±16.4)%, (67.2±20.3)% and (64.8±21.5)%, respectively. The overall remission rate of diabetes at 6, 9, 12, 24 and 36 months was 50.0%(12/24), 79.2%(19/24), 70.8%(17/24), 66.7%(16/24) and 62.5%(15/24), respectively. The complete remission rate was 33.3%(8/24), 50.0%(12/24), 54.2%(13/24), 45.8%(11/24) and 50.0%(12/24), respectively. For patients with a duration of T2DM shorter than 5 years, the overall remission rate at 9, 12 and 24 months after operation was 10/10, 9/10 and 9/10, respectively, significantly higher than that of patients with a duration of 11-15 years (2/6, 2/6 and 2/6, Fisher's exact tests, P=0.008, 0.036 and 0.036, respectively).

CONCLUSIONThe present study confirms the efficacy of LSG in the treatment of T2DM patients with a BMI less than 40 kg/m.