Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a commonly performed bariatric procedure. Weight regain following SG is a significant issue. Yet the defining, reporting and understanding of this phenomenon remains largely neglected. Systematic review was performed to locate articles reporting the definition, rate and/or cause of weight regain in patients at least 2 years post-SG. A range of definitions employed to describe weight regain were identified in the literature. Rates of regain ranged from 5.7 % at 2 years to 75.6 % at 6 years. Proposed causes of weight regain included initial sleeve size, sleeve dilation, increased ghrelin levels, inadequate follow-up support and maladaptive lifestyle behaviours. Bariatric literature would benefit from standardising definitions used to report weight regain and its rate in clinical series. Larger prospective studies are required to further understand mechanisms of weight regain following SG.
Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Sleeve gastrectomy; Weight regain.