Cluster analysis for classification of patients submitted to Fobi-Capella bariatric surgery.

Background: Individuals classified as morbidly obese require effective treatments to promote weight reduction. Due to the inefficacy of conservative treatments and current medications, bariatric surgery (gastric bypass) has been indicated for this group of individuals.

Aim: To identify subgroups of obese patients in order to find patterns that hinder weight loss and recovery after the operation.

Method: Variables from the medical records of 50 patients were analyzed at two different times: before bariatric surgery and six months after the surgery, utilizing statistical cluster analysis.

Results: The analysis led to dividing the patients into two groups. The body mass index - BMI variable did not influence the classification of the patients. The group in worse metabolic conditions was not necessarily composed of heavier subjects, but the cluster analysis grouped the patients according to four indicators of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic alterations and blood pressure were shown to have a clear correlation to obesity, relation to BMI was not confirmed by this study.

Conclusions: Taking measures to manage metabolic syndrome and not focusing solely on weight loss could improve recovery after bariatric surgery, considering that the BMI was reduced in all patients and was not the distinguishing factor for the postoperative period.