Role of Bariatric Surgeries on Improving Subsequent Pregnancy Outcomes

Background: The most successful long-term strategy for reducing maternal obesity is bariatric surgeries. Following these surgeries, pregnancy is safe for both the mother and the fetus.
Aim: to evaluate the effects of bariatric surgery on the results of subsequent pregnancies (both maternal and neonatal).
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was implemented from March 2022 to April 2024, involving 3825 obese pregnant women and 579 pregnant women who had undergone bariatric surgeries prior to becoming pregnant. All individuals for whom full pregnancy and birth records were available were included in the current investigation. An observational plus follow-up checklist and an interview questionnaire sheet were the two instruments used to achieve the study's objective. Results for moms and fetuses in two groups were compared.
Results: Bariatric surgery patients who were pregnant experienced a decreased rate of gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and cesarean sections (7.9%, 11.1%, 11.8%, and 20.4%, respectively); in contrast, the obese group experienced a significantly higher rate of these conditions (18.0%, 26.9%, 19.2%, and 36.5%). In addition, a significant difference was found between the BSs group and the obese group concerning the incidence of small for gestational age (21.7% vs. 9.3%, respectively), NICU admission rates (p = 0.004), and low Apgar scores at 5 minutes (11.4% vs. 1.7%, respectively).
Conclusions: The results of the study indicate that pregnant obese women are more likely to experience preeclampsia, cesarean sections, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes mellitus. After bariatric surgeries, there was a significant decrease in preeclampsia, cesarean sections, prenatal hypertension, and gestational diabetes mellitus.