Pregnancy after bariatric surgery

Abstract

The incidence of obesity is increasing rapidly, and it affects a greater proportion of women than men. Unfortunately, obesity has a negative impact on women's reproductive health, including increased adverse perinatal outcomes. Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is performed in many hospitals, and can allow for significant weight loss and improvement in medical comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. A woman who becomes pregnant after bariatric surgery usually has an uncomplicated pregnancy but requires special attention to some complications that can occur after these procedures. This article reviews the perinatal outcomes and provides recommendations for care regarding the unique issues that arise during a pregnancy after bariatric surgery.