Incidence and risk factors of gallstone formation after bariatric surgery

INTRODUCTION: The primary aim of this research was to investigate the incidence and potential risk factors associated with gallstone formation following bariatric surgery.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 478 patients who underwent bariatric and metabolic procedures between January 2017 and June 2021. After applying specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 254 patients were deemed suitable for the study. Data, including age, gender, pre-operative body weight, body mass index (BMI), weight loss, familial history of gallstones, and duration of follow-up, were meticulously recorded and analyzed.
RESULTS: Out of the 254 patients, 31.1% (79 patients) developed gallstones postoperatively. Notable differ-ences were identified between patients with and without post-operative gallstones in terms of age, pre-operative body weight, BMI, and total weight loss percentage (TWL%). In addition, a familial history of gallstones emerged as a potential risk factor. However, regression analyses pinpointed only the total duration of post-operative follow-up as a significant predictor of gallstone formation. Interestingly, the longer the follow-up duration, the lower the risk of gallstone development.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: While bariatric surgery offers numerous health benefits, there is a notable risk of gallstone formation post-surgery. Factors such as rapid weight loss, high TWL%, and familial history of gallstones were identified as potential risk indicators. However, the study’s most significant finding was the inverse relationship between the duration of post-operative follow-up and the risk of gallstone formation. This emphasizes the importance of extended monitoring and follow-up for patients’ post-bariatric surgery to mitigate gallstone-related complications.