Bariatric Surgery Is a Safe and Effective Option for Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Case Series and Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Questions remain regarding both the safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including the effects of bariatric surgery on the course of disease. We report a case series from a tertiary care IBD referral center and review the existing literature regarding the safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery in IBD patients. Objectives: Examine the safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery in IBD patients. Explore possible effects of weight loss on postoperative IBD course. Method: We performed a retrospective review of patients at our center undergoing bariatric surgery with a concurrent IBD diagnosis, collecting baseline characteristics, surgery type, and postoperative course (including IBD outcomes and weight loss). Data from these patients were combined with available data from the existing literature to calculate standardized means with standard error, variance, and confidence intervals (CI). Results: Data from 13 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery at our facility were combined with data from 8 other studies to create a study population of 101 patients. Of these, 61 had Crohn’s disease, 37 ulcerative colitis, and 3 IBD-unspecified, with a mean preoperative BMI of 44.2 (95% CI 42.9–45.7). Following surgery, a mean excess weight loss of 68.4% was demonstrated (95% CI, 65.7–71.2). Of the 101 patients, 22 experienced early and 20 experienced late postoperative complications. Postoperatively, 10 patients experienced a flare of IBD, 20 remained in remission, and 7 patients were able to discontinue immunosuppressive therapy. Conclusions: Based on available studies, bariatric surgery appears to be both an effective and safe option for weight loss in patients with IBD.