Maternal and perinatal outcomes in women conceiving after bariatric surgery: A cohort study

Obesity in women, a global issue, is being widely managed with bariatric surgery worldwide. According to recommended guidelines, pregnancy should be avoided for 12 to 24 months following surgery due to various risks. We assessed if surgery-to-conception time has a relation with pregnancy outcomes taking into account gestational weight gain. A cohort study between 2015 and 2019 followed-up pregnancies after various types of bariatric surgeries performed (e.g. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric banding, gastric bypass with Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy) in Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. There were 5 surgery-to-conception groups: <6 months, 6 to 12 months, 13 to 18 months, 19 to 24 months, and >24 months. There were 3 gestational weight gain groups: inadequate, adequate, or excessive (based on the National Academy of Medicine classification). Maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared using analysis of variance and chi-square tests. There were 158 pregnancies. Booking maternal body mass index and weight were higher among mothers who conceived <6 months following surgery (P < .001). Gestational weight gain was not related to the type of bariatric surgery (P = .24), but it was far more often inadequate in mothers who conceived <12 months following surgery (P = .002). Maternal (including pregnancy-induced hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus) and neonatal outcomes were not statistically significantly associated with surgery-to-conception duration. However, birth weight was lower when gestational weight gain was inadequate (P = .03). There is a negative relationship between shorter bariatric surgery-to-conception interval and gestational weight gain, a feature related to neonatal birth weight. Conception should be delayed to improve pregnancy outcomes following bariatric surgery.

Automated summary

Obesity in women is a global issue, and bariatric surgery is widely used for its management. Guidelines recommend avoiding pregnancy for a certain period after surgery due to risks. This study investigated the relation between surgery-to-conception time and pregnancy outcomes, considering gestational weight gain. The results showed that shorter surgery-to-conception interval was associated with inadequate gestational weight gain and lower birth weight. Conception should be delayed after bariatric surgery to improve pregnancy outcomes.