 Reproductive Health
What is it?
Reproductive health can be a concern for women struggling with morbid obesity. Issues such as infertility (the inability or reduced ability to produce children) and menstrual irregularities may occur due to morbid obesity. Menstruation issues include cycle interruption, abnormal flow, and additional pain during your menstrual cycle. Fertility issues include possible miscarriage, reduced success with fertility treatments, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
PCOS is an endocrine disorder in women of childbearing age that can cause infertility and other reproductive health conditions. Classic symptoms include obesity, an increase of facial and body hair (hirsutism), acne, irregular menstrual cycles, and infertility.16
How is it affected by bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery has been found to improve or resolve conditions that may interfere with pregnancy, such as PCOS and hypertension. This procedure also reduces weight on reproductive organs and influences other physiological changes affecting fertility.
Surgeons commonly will request that female bariatric patients take steps to prevent pregnancy during the first year after surgery. Therefore, it’s important to know about any changes in fertility after surgery so that you don’t become pregnant too soon.
What success have patients found through bariatric surgery?
A recent study of women following gastric bypass surgery showed improvement of multiple clinical problems related to infertility and PCOS. All women continued to have normal menstrual cycles after about three months following surgery. Of the women who experienced hirsutism, 52 percent had complete resolution.15 In overweight women, weight loss (as little as 5 percent) may restore ovulation and fertility.16
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References
15 Eid GM, Cottam DR, Velcu LM, et al. Effective Treatment of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome with Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass. SOARD 2005 Mar;1(2):77-80.
16 Dr. Joseph F. Smith Medical Library. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. [Online] 1 August 2005. <http://www.chclibrary.org/micromed/00061250.html>. |
