Morbid Obesity and Severe Knee Osteoarthritis - Which Should Be Treated First?

Morbid Obesity and Severe Knee Osteoarthritis - Which Should Be Treated First? A Randomized Cross-over Study

The goal of this study is to determine whether undergoing bariatric surgery before knee replacement leads to better outcomes compared to undergoing knee replacement before bariatric surgery. Our secondary goal is to compare complication rates between these groups to determine if there is a difference based on the order of the two procedures.

Participants will be randomly placed in one of two groups, with each undergoing both procedures but in opposite order. Quality of life will be assessed via questionnaires before and between each procedure, and rates of complications will also be documented to compare their rates between groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

• BMI > or = 35, on surgical waitlist for a total knee arthroplasty and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Exclusion Criteria:

• a history of revision surgery, surgery for neoplastic disease, significant mental illness, ASA class > 3 denoting absence of significant impact of comorbidities, and previous esophagogastric surgery.