Determining the prevalence and causes of anaemia in patients after bariatric surgery in a Saudi hospital.

OBJECTIVES

Obesity is a chronic disease with high prevalence in Saudi population. Bariatric surgery is an effective method for significant weight reduction. However, various types of nutritional deficiencies occur after weight loss surgery which increase the risk of anaemia. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence of anaemia after bariatric surgery.

METHOD

A retrospective descriptive study was conducted with 70 patients of both genders aged over 16 years. These patients underwent bariatric surgery between February 2016 and March 2018 and had completed 6 months or more of post-surgery follow-up. Anthropometric and laboratory data were obtained before and after surgery at standard time intervals. All patients were on postoperative vitamin supplements.

RESULTS

Of the total study patients, 41 were women (58.57%) and 29 were men (41.42%) with a median age of 38.5 years (range, 16-65). The median follow-up time was 8 months (6-24 months). Postoperatively, 16 patients (22.9%) developed anaemia, and interestingly, all of them were women (39%). Fifteen of these sixteen patients (93.8%) had microcytic anaemia. Two of those sixteen patients (12.5%) had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, while fourteen (87.5%) had sleeve gastrectomy.

CONCLUSION

Anaemia and its related nutritional deficiencies are a common complication after bariatric surgery which exerts a major impact on health, particularly in women. Hence, a strict post-operative follow-up and appropriate supplementation are recommended to combat anaemia and its related nutritional deficiencies.