Bone mass loss after bariatric surgery?

New research reveals that some bariatric surgeries can have an impact on bone health, especially in the hip area.

The study analyzed the bone mineral density of a group of patients with severe obesity, both before and one year after their operation.

This study has been led by Dr. Carmen Gómez Vaquero, principal investigator of the synovial inflammation and bone metabolism research group at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and doctor at the Bellvitge University Hospital, and has had the collaboration of Dr. Núria Vilarrasa, researcher in endocrinology and nutrition at IDIBELL and the Bellvitge University Hospital. Both institutions are located in Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona. IDIBELL is one of the institutions CLOSE to the Generalitat of Catalonia.

The results of the study show that certain surgical techniques, especially those that most significantly reduce nutrient absorption, have a considerable impact on bone loss, with this being greater in the hip compared to the lumbar spine.

As a novelty, the bone microarchitecture of the hip has been analyzed for the first time using 3D-DXA technology, observing that the loss of bone mass occurs mainly in the trabecular compartment of the hip. This implies that some patients, especially those undergoing hypoabsorptive techniques, require close monitoring and supplementation with higher doses of calcium and vitamin D than usual and on an ongoing basis to protect their bone health.

Dr. Gómez Vaquero, who presented these results at the VI Osteoporosis Course of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology in Madrid, explained that “not all surgeries have the same effect; Restrictive techniques, such as vertical gastrectomy, do not increase the risk of fracture. It would be advisable to consider the risk of fracture prior to surgery among the factors that determine the decision to perform one surgical technique or another.”

The two specialists who led the study. (Photo: IDIBELL / Bellvitge University Hospital)

The final objective of this research is to improve the medical follow-up of patients after surgery, especially in those subjected to more hypoabsorptive techniques, in order to reduce the risk of fracture and maintain good long-term bone health.

The study is titled “Bone loss after bariatric surgery is observed mainly in the hip trabecular compartment and after hypoabsorptive techniques.” And it is published in the academic journal Bone. (Source: IDIBELL)