Bariatric surgery a potential tool in avoiding gestational diabetes in obese women

Obese women who undergo bariatric surgery before pregnancy have lower incidences of gestational diabetes and cesarean sections, according to recent research.

“The major finding of our study is that women who had bariatric surgery before they delivered reduced odds of gestational diabetes when compared with women who had bariatric surgery after they delivered,” Anne E. Burke, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in a press release.

The retrospective study examined 23,594 cases seeking women who underwent bariatric surgery and had a pregnancy resulting in a delivery at more than 22 weeks gestation. Of the women who qualified, 346 had a delivery before bariatric surgery, and 354 had a delivery after bariatric surgery.

Researchers reported that there were lower incidences of gestational diabetes (8% vs. 27%; OR=0.23; 95% CI, 0.15-0.36) and caesarean section (28% vs. 43%; OR=0.53; 95% CI, 0.39-0.72) in women who delivered after undergoing bariatric surgery

The findings suggest considering this potential benefit of bariatric surgery in the management of obese women who are of childbearing age.

“Despite a growing body of evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery in reversing obesity-related complications, few candidates for the procedure are referred to a surgeon to discuss their options,” Martin Makary, MD, associate professor of surgery at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in the press release.

For more information:

Burke AE. J Am Coll Surg. 2010;211:169-175.

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