No sex differences in bariatric surgery benefits, complications

Contrary to popular belief, men and women derive similar short- and mid-term benefits from bariatric surgery, the risks of which are also comparable between sexes, a recent study has found.

Researchers conducted a matched-pair analysis including 707 men and 707 women pair-matched for age, procedure type, and body mass index (BMI) prior to surgery. After the procedure, pairwise comparisons were conducted in terms of weight loss, remission of obesity-related comorbidities, and postoperative complications.

After adjusting for preoperative diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia, no significant difference in 12-month total weight loss was detected between men and women (32.6±0.3 vs 32.0±0.4 kg, respectively; p=0.181). The same was true for BMI loss (15.2±0.2 vs 14.9±0.2 kg/m²; p=0.174) and excess BMI loss (74.1±0.8 vs 72.7±0.8 kg/m²; p=0.374).

Even at 24 and 36 months after the procedure, men and women continued to show statistically similar changes in the anthropometric parameters. Notably, change in fat mass was significantly greater in men both at 12 (p<0.001) and 24 (p=0.013) months, but the between-sex difference loss its significance by month 36.

Postoperative complications likewise occurred at comparable frequencies between sexes. Clavien-Dindo grade ≥IV complications, for instance, were reported in seven women and 14 men (p=0.124); similar trends were found for other grades.

“These findings suggest bariatric surgeons not to consider sex for patient selection in bariatric surgery,” the researchers said. “Further randomized clinical trials are warranted to verify our findings in the mid and long term after bariatric surgery.”