Research

Hormonal

Bariatric surgery improves periconception maternal health by normalizing hormonal axes and restoring menstrual cycle regularity, which leads to increased fertility, without increasing the risk of miscarriages or congenital malformations.

If you are considering bariatric surgery and plan to conceive, expect that your fertility will likely improve and menstrual cycles will become regular. However, you must commit to lifelong vitamin supplementation and regular monitoring to prevent deficiencies. Postpone pregnancy until weight loss stabilizes and vitamin levels are normalized to ensure optimal health for you and the fetus.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
After bariatric surgery, hormonal axes normalized and menstrual cycle regularity was restored, resulting in increased fertility. Overall, there were no short-term risks for reproductive outcomes such as the increased risk of miscarriages or congenital malformations.
Katinka Marianne Snoek et al. · Human Reproduction Update · 2021

Why this rating

Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 51 articles, though quality scores varied (median 5/10).

Source

The effects of bariatric surgery on periconception maternal health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Katinka Marianne Snoek et al. · Human Reproduction Update · 2021

DOI 10.1093/humupd/dmab022

Meta-analysis · 51 studiesCited 60×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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