What Do Long Term Results of SADI and Similar Weight Loss Surgery Actually Show?
A 2026 meta-analysis published in Obesity Surgery examined how three weight loss surgery procedures perform over at least ten years. The study found that all three procedures produced lasting weight loss, and that two of them showed strong improvements in obesity related health conditions.
The Research Looked at 22 Studies Covering More Than 2,000 Patients Over a Decade
Researchers pooled data from 22 published studies involving 2,156 patients. To be included, each study had to report outcomes at ten years or more after surgery. The three procedures examined were biliopancreatic diversion (BPD), biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS), and single anastomosis duodeno ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy, also known as SADI-S.
BPD and BPD-DS Showed Strong Long Term Weight Loss and Health Improvements
For BPD and BPD-DS, the results at ten or more years showed meaningful reductions in weight and improvements in several health conditions. About 9 in 10 patients saw their obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops during sleep, resolve. Around 8 in 10 patients saw their type 2 diabetes resolve, though 15 percent of those patients experienced a return of diabetes over the long term. The study also recorded notable rates of anaemia, iron deficiency and bone disorders in this group over time.
SADI-S Data Looks Promising but Is Still Limited
For SADI-S specifically, only two studies with long term data were available, so findings are early. Those studies showed sustained weight loss results, but the researchers also noted meaningful rates of reoperation related to nutritional complications. The authors concluded that careful patient selection and ongoing specialist care are important for all three procedures because of the risk of malnutrition. Results vary from person to person.
About this research: Long Term Effects of Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD), Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD DS), and Single Anastomosis Duodeno Ileal Bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy (SADI S) in Patients with Obesity: A Meta Analysis, Obesity Surgery, 2026. Read the study summary
More about this procedure is on our SADI page. If you are considering your options, call us on (03) 9760 2777 or request an appointment through our website.