Body weight and satiation after duodenal switch: 2 years later.

Background: The authors investigated body weight, satiation, and gustative pleasure of obese patients 2 years after a bariatric operation: the biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (DS).

Methods: 9 operated patients, 10 unoperated non-obese and 10 unoperated obese persons participated in the "alliesthesia (food distaste) test". This test is a psychometric assessment of satiation resulting from the pleasure or displeasure following the repeated ingestion of a sweet stimulus. Operated patients also participated in the test before the DS operation.

Results: 2 years after DS, patients had lost 50% of their body weight and their BMI was rendered similar to that of the non-obese control group. Their satiation was faster than in control and unoperated obese patients. The responses of control and unoperated obese patients were identical to those of pre-surgery operated patients.

Conclusion: This indicates that at the time of the experiment, patients' actual body weight was higher than their body weight set-point and that they would be likely to continue to lose weight, at least beyond 2 years.