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Health-Related Quality of Life, Sexuality and Hormone Status after Laparoscopic Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass in Women

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Abstract

Objective

Few studies have been carried out concerning the influence of bariatric surgery on female sexuality and hormones, particularly utilizing hormone-based questionnaires. The effect of bariatric surgery on sex hormone levels, sexual function and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in women was analyzed in this study. Participants were included in a single-center study at a regional hospital in Sweden, with a duration of one-year follow-up.

Methods

One hundred non-smoking women, undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, were included in the study. Blood assay for sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) was analyzed. Participants completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Women’s Health Questionnaire (WHQ) and Psychological General Well-being Inventory (PGWB) parallel to lab testing.

Results

At one-year follow-up, several significant results were found concerning hormones and questionnaires. Testosterone decreased and SHBG increased, N = 68/100. Desire, arousal, orgasm, satisfaction and total score domains for the FSFI increased after one year, N = 53/100. WHQ domains concerning depressed mood, somatic symptoms, memory, anxiety, sexual behavior and attractiveness improved after one year, N = 47/100. All domains in the PGWB (N = 52), including anxiety, depressed mood, positive well-being, self-control, general health, vitality and total score improved at follow-up. Spearman’s Rho coefficient analysis found correlation between testosterone/WHQ-sexual problems (0.3), SHBG/WHQ-general health (0.3) and SHBG/FSFI-arousal (−0.3).

Conclusions

Bariatric surgery normalizes levels of sex-hormones in women, and results in improved sexual function, health-related quality of life and psychological well-being.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to extend our deep appreciation to Annelie Villaume, R.N. and Annika Kaiser R.N., for carrying out administration duties. And our gratitude to Mats Fredriksson for assistance in statistical analysis.

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from Linkoping Medical Faculty Grant Board (LIO-309361), and grants from Region Ostergotland (LIO-421541, LIO-601561, LIO-507021, LIO-342321).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Norrkoping, Sweden

    Rebecca Paul, Ellen Andersson, Mikael Wirén & Jessica Frisk

  2. Department of Surgery, Vrinnevi Hospital, 60379, Norrkoping, Sweden

    Rebecca Paul

  3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Norrkoping, Sweden

    Mikael Wirén

Authors
  1. Rebecca Paul
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  2. Ellen Andersson
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Correspondence to Rebecca Paul.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Statement

All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and /or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Paul, R., Andersson, E., Wirén, M. et al. Health-Related Quality of Life, Sexuality and Hormone Status after Laparoscopic Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass in Women. OBES SURG 30, 493–500 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-019-04197-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-019-04197-5

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