Management of Pregnancy in Women Who Have Undergone Bariatric Surgery

Risk of Severe Maternal Morbidity After Bariatric Surgery: Retrospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

We assessed whether bariatric surgery before pregnancy lowers the risk of severe maternal morbidity to a level comparable to no obesity.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Obesity is a risk factor for severe maternal morbidity, but the potential for bariatric surgery to reduce the risk has not been studied.

METHODS

We analyzed a retrospective cohort of 2,412,075 deliveries between 1989 and 2019 in Quebec, Canada. The main exposure measures were bariatric surgery before pregnancy and obesity without bariatric surgery, compared with no obesity. The outcome was severe maternal morbidity, a composite of life-threatening pregnancy complications. We estimated risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between bariatric surgery and severe maternal morbidity, adjusted for maternal characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 2654 deliveries (0.1%) were in women who had bariatric surgery, and 70,041 (29.0 per 1000) were in women who had severe maternal morbidity. Risk of severe maternal morbidity was not significantly elevated for bariatric surgery (RR 1.20; 95% CI 0.98-1.46), but was greater for obesity compared with no obesity (RR 1.60; 95% CI 1.55-1.64). Bariatric surgery was not associated with morbidities such as severe preeclampsia, sepsis, and cardiac complications compared with no obesity, but obesity was associated with elevated risks of these and other severe morbidities. Bariatric surgery was associated, however, with intensive care unit admission, compared with no obesity.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women with prior bariatric surgery have similar risks as nonobese women for most types of severe maternal morbidity, except for intensive care unit admission.

Review: Sex-Specific Aspects in the Bariatric Treatment of Severely Obese Women

This systematic literature review aims to point out sex-specific special features that are important in the bariatric treatment of women suffering from severe obesity. A systematic literature search was carried out according to Cochrane and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. After the literature selection, the following categories were determined: sexuality and sexual function; contraception; fertility; sex hormones and polycystic ovary syndrome; menopause and osteoporosis; pregnancy and breastfeeding; pelvic floor disorders and urinary incontinence; female-specific cancer; and metabolism, outcome, and quality of life. For each category, the current status of research is illuminated and implications for bariatric treatment are determined. A summary that includes key messages is given for each subsection. An overall result of this paper is an understanding that sex-specific risks that follow or result from bariatric surgery should be considered more in aftercare. In order to increase the evidence, further research focusing on sex-specific differences in the outcome of bariatric surgery and promising treatment approaches to female-specific diseases is needed. Nevertheless, bariatric surgery shows good potential in the treatment of sex-specific aspects for severely obese women that goes far beyond mere weight loss and reduction of metabolic risks.

Early pregnancy after bariatric surgery: a single-institute preliminary experience

Background/aim

Pregnancy after bariatric surgery is an issue of growing importance with increasing number of women undergoing bariatric surgery. Therefore, in this study we present patients who conceived after sleeve gastrectomy and evaluate the obstetric outcomes.

Materials and methods

This retrospective case-control study includes 23 women who conceived after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Patients were evaluated in two groups according to the number of months between surgery and conception (group 1: ≤12 months; group 2: >12 months).

Results

The mean body mass index of patients before surgery and at the time of conception was 46.6 kg/m2 and 29.7 kg/m2, respectively. Nine patients (39.1%) had a history of infertility. There was no statistical difference between groups 1 and 2 for haemoglobin, ferritin, and 25-OH Vit-D levels or maternofoetal complication rates and pregnancy outcomes. Enteral nutrition requirements and intravenous iron replacement needs were higher in group 1, although this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Pregnancy in the first years after sleeve gastrectomy seems to have similar obstetric outcomes compared to pregnancies occurring later, but it remains a controversial issue. Although the results did not have statistical significance in our study, well-designed prospective series may determine the role of enteral nutrition and intravenous iron replacement in patient management.

Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Maternal and Infant Outcomes of Pregnancy-An Evidence Analysis Center Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

While obesity presents specific acute and long-term risks to the pregnant woman and her offspring, the effects of bariatric surgery on pregnancy outcomes are undetermined.

OBJECTIVE

A systematic review was performed according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Library process to determine the effects of bariatric surgery on both maternal and infant health outcomes of pregnancy.

DESIGN

A comprehensive literature search of PubMed was conducted to identify studies published from years 2000 to 2015 that examined the health effects of pregnancy after bariatric surgery. Experimental studies and observational studies with a control group were included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcomes of interest were gestational weight gain, maternal complications (ie, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, hypertension, and postpartum hemorrhage), miscarriage and/or stillbirth, cesarean section, birth weight in grams, birth weight in categories (ie, macrosomia, low birth weight, small for gestational age, and large for gestational age), gestational age and preterm birth, infant illness and complications (ie, perinatal death, admission to neonatal intensive care unit, neonatal illness, and congenital malformation rates), and Apgar scores.

RESULTS

Thirteen of 246 studies were included. Compared to body mass index-matched controls without surgery, bariatric surgery before pregnancy reduced infant birth weight in grams, with no effect on total maternal gestational weight gain or Apgar scores. Surgery did not increase risk of adverse outcomes, such as miscarriage and/or stillbirth, preterm birth, or infant complications. Effects of surgery on maternal complications, infant birth weight categories, and surgical delivery rates were inconsistent.

CONCLUSIONS

Bariatric surgery is a successful treatment of maternal obesity, but certain surgery-specific risks may exist. More data are needed to determine clinical guidelines. The long-term effects of surgery on pregnancy outcomes are unknown.

Pregnancy after bariatric surgery: Maternal and fetal outcomes of 39 pregnancies and a literature review

AIM

We aimed to evaluate the impact of bariatric surgery (BS) on maternal and fetal outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective, descriptive, observational study of 39 pregnant women who underwent BS in our institution between 2010 and 2014 was carried out. A sample of women who became pregnant after BS was evaluated, based on data concerning pregnancy, childbirth, and newborns.

RESULTS

Of the 1182 patients who underwent BS at our institution during the study period, 1016 (85.9%) were women. Thirty-nine of these women (with an average age of 31 ± 4.8 years) became pregnant (one twin pregnancy) and 29 of the 39 had undergone a gastric bypass. The mean time interval between BS and pregnancy was 16.6 ± 4.8 months; however, 16 (41%) women became pregnant less than a year after BS. The pre-BS body mass index (BMI) of the 39 women was 44.5 ± 6.2 kg/m² . The women had a mean BMI of 30.2 ± 3.8 kg/m² when they got pregnant and they gained 13.2 ± 7.3 kg during pregnancy. Iron deficiency was observed in 18 (46.1%) women, 16 (45.7%) had vitamin B12 deficiency, 12 (66.8%) had zinc deficiency, and 20 (60.6%) had vitamin D deficiency. Three women developed gestational diabetes mellitus. Premature rupture of membranes occurred in two pregnancies, preterm delivery in five, and there was one spontaneous abortion. Cesarean section was performed in seven cases. The average newborn weight was 3002 ± 587 g, five were small for gestational age, and one had macrosomia. Three infants had to be admitted to an intensive care unit.

CONCLUSION

Although pregnancy after BS is safe and well tolerated, close monitoring by a multidisciplinary team is required to evaluate complications resulting from BS, especially a deficit of micronutrients.