Bariatric Surgery Boosts Female Reproductive Health and Maternal Outcomes

Obesity negatively impacts female reproductive health, contributing to difficulties with natural conception, increased risks of pregnancy complications, miscarriages, congenital anomalies, and long-term adverse effects on both mother and child.

The goal of a study was to evaluate reproductive health outcomes in females who underwent bariatric surgery. 

This was a retrospective analysis conducted using a prospectively collected database between 2013-16. Overall, 71 females were studied, among which 45 completed a 3-year follow-up. Patients were categorized as follows: Group A – patients with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) symptoms; Group B – patients with primary infertility; and Group C – patients who conceived post-bariatric surgery from Groups A and B.

Of the 45 patients, 40 underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), four underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), and one underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). The mean BMI was 43.64 ± 6.8 kg/m². PCOD symptoms showed significant symptomatic improvement post-surgery. In Group B, seven (43.75%) primary infertility patients conceived – three (42.9%) conceiving naturally and four (57.1%) using assisted reproductive technology (ART). In Group C, the rates of short gestational age (SGA), low birth weight (LBW), normal vaginal deliveries (NVD), and maternal anemia were 63.15%, 47.3%, 73.4%, and 26.3%, respectively.

From the results, it was inferred that obesity is strongly linked to primary infertility and PCOD. Bariatric surgery significantly improves menstrual irregularities, fertility, and maternal outcomes––highlighting its potential as a therapeutic approach for obesity-related reproductive health issues. 

Source: Christinajoice S, Misra S, Bhattacharya S, et al. Obes Surg. 2020;30(2):383-390. doi:10.1007/s11695-019-04245-0