Dataset Information

Changes in Sexual Functioning in Women and Men in the 5 Years After Bariatric Surgery.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Short-term improvements in sexual functioning are reported after bariatric surgery, but to our knowledge, little is known about the durability of these improvements.

Objective

To determine the percentage of adults with impairment in sexual functioning who experience durable improvements in sexual functioning after bariatric surgery and to identify factors associated with improvements.

Design, setting, and participants

The Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery-2 is an observational cohort study conducted at 10 hospitals in 6 US clinical centers. Adults undergoing their first bariatric procedure were recruited from 2005 through 2009, data were collected through August 2014. Data analysis was conducted from 2016 to April 2018.

Interventions

Participants completed assessments before the procedure and annually thereafter for 5 years.

Main outcomes and measures

A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess clinically meaningful differences before and after surgery in past-month sexual satisfaction, desire, and activity and physical health limitations to sexual activity among subgroups who reported sexual functioning at less than domain-specific thresholds before surgery.

Results

Of 2215 participants eligible for sexual function follow-up, 2036 (91.9%) completed 1 or more follow-up assessment (1431 [64.6%] at year 5), of whom 1607 (78.9%) were women. At the presurgery assessment, median (interquartile range) age was 47 (37-55) years, and the median (interquartile range) body mass index was 45.8 (41.7-51.3). Among those who were not satisfied with their sexual life before surgery (1015 of 1456 women [69.7%]; 304 of 409 men [74.3%]), 56.0% of women (95% CI, 52.5%-59.5%) and 49.2% of men (95% CI, 42.4%-55.9%) experienced clinically meaningful improvements at year 1; these percentages did not significantly differ during further follow-up. Among those who reported physical limitations to sexual activity at baseline (892 of 1490 women [59.9%] and 267 of 406 men [65.8%]), the percentage experiencing improvement in this domain decreased during follow-up, but 73.6% (95% CI, 69.3%-78.0%) of women and 67.6% (95% CI, 59.6%-75.6%) of men continued to report improvements at year 5. Greater postsurgical reduction in depressive symptoms was independently associated with improvement in 4 domains of sexual life among women (frequency of sexual desire: adjusted relative risk [aRR] per 5-point decrease in Beck Depression Inventory score, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.07-1.18]; P < .001; frequency of sexual activity: aRR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.08-1.18]; P < .001; the degree to which physical health limited sexual activity: aRR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.14-1.23]; P < .001; and satisfaction with sexual life: aRR, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.19-1.31]; P < .001) and 2 domains among men (physical health limitations: aRR, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.04-1.26]; P = .008 and satisfaction with sexual life: aRR, 1.55 [95% CI, 1.33-1.81]; P < .001). Surgical procedure was not associated with improvement.

Conclusions and relevance

Per this study, approximately half of women and men who were not satisfied with their sexual life prior to bariatric surgery experienced improvements in satisfaction in 5 years of follow-up.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00465829.

SUBMITTER: Steffen KJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6584276 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundThe relationship between obesity and impairments in male sexual functioning is well documented. Relatively few studies have investigated changes in sexual functioning and sex hormones in men who achieve significant weight loss with bariatric surgery. The objective of this study was to assess changes in sexual functioning, sex hormones, and relevant psychosocial constructs in men who underwent bariatric surgery.MethodsA prospective cohort study of 32 men from the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery-2 (LABS) investigation who underwent a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (median body mass index [25th percentile, 75th percentile] 45.1 [42.0, 52.2]) and completed assessments between 2006 and 2012. Bariatric surgery was performed by a LABS-certified surgeon. Sexual functioning was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Functioning (IIEF). Hormones were assessed by blood assay. Quality of life (QoL), body image, depressive symptoms and marital adjustment were assessed by questionnaire.ResultsMen lost, on average, (95% confidence interval) 33.3% (36.1%, 30.5%) of initial weight at postoperative year 1, 33.6% (36.8%, 30.5%) at year 2, 31.0% (34.1%, 27.9%) at year 3, and 29.4% (32.7%, 26.2%) at year 4. Participants experienced significant increases in total testosterone (P<.001) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) (P<.001) through postoperative year 4. Although men reported improvements in sexual functioning after surgery, these changes did not significantly differ from baseline, with the exception of overall satisfaction at postoperative year 3 (P = .008). Participants reported significant improvements in physical domains of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), all domains of weight-related QOL, and body image, but not in the mental health domains of HRQoL or relationship satisfaction.ConclusionsMen who lost approximately one third of their weight after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass experienced significant increases in total testosterone and SHBG. They did not, however, report significant improvements in sexual functioning, relationship satisfaction, or mental health domains of HRQoL. This pattern of results differs from that of women who have undergone bariatric surgery, who reported almost uniform improvements in sexual functioning and psychosocial status.