Predictive factors of success in sleeve gastrectomy: One-year follow-up and the significance of HALP score

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether HALP score [hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte (LY), platelet] can predict weight loss in patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy. Study Design: A cohort study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of General Surgery, Balikesir University, Turkey from July 2019 to July 2020. Methodology: One-year data of 64 patients, who underwent sleeve gastrectomy due to obesity were included for the analysis. The cut-off value of HALP score was calculated to be 41.2971. Those below the cut-off value were classified into Group 1 (low HALP score) and those above it were classified into Group 2 (high HALP score). Preoperative and postoperative body mass index (BMI), hemotologic parameters, platelet/LY ratios (PLR), and neutrophil/LY ratios (NLR), were compared. According to the percentage of excess BMI loss, patients were divided into 3 groups: Group A (<= 40%), Group B (40%-60%), Group C (>= 60%). Results: The decrease in postoperative BMI was significantly high in Group 2 (p<0.001). There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of percentage change of hemoglobin (p=0.012). The increase in postoperative LY value and decrease in postoperative PLR value were significantly high in Group 1 (p=0.019, p=0.003). Furthermore, patient distribution was significantly different among groups A, B, and C (p <0.001). Comparison of groups showed a significant difference between groups A and B and between groups A and C, but not between groups B and C (p=0.006, p<0.001, and p=0.192, respectively). Conclusion: In patients with high HALP scores, the rate of weight loss was higher, and most of their laboratory parameters were improved compared to those patients with low HALP scores.