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Effect of Sleeve Gastrectomy on Thyroid Hormone Levels

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Abstract

Background

Weight loss in morbidly obese patients is associated with changes in thyroid function. Studies have demonstrated equivalent changes following bariatric surgery. Changes in thyroid function were reported following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB), biliopancreatic diversion (BPD), and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). No data exists on changes in thyroid function following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). The aim of the current study is to evaluate changes in thyroid function following LSG in patients with normal thyroid function.

Methods

Data were retrieved from a prospectively collected database of patients who underwent LSG for morbid obesity. Euthyroid patients were evaluated for changes in TSH and free thyroxine (FT4), 6–12 months after surgery. Correlation between changes in thyroid hormone levels, excess weight loss (EWL), and baseline TSH were evaluated.

Results

Thirty-eight patients were included in the study. Mean BMI decreased from 42.4 to 32.5 kg/m2 (P < 0.0001). Mean TSH levels decreased from 2.45 ± 0.17 mU/L at baseline to 1.82 ± 0.18 mU/L (P < 0.0001), whereas mean FT4 levels remained the same after surgery (13.27 ± 0.45 pmol/L compared to 12.96 ± 0.42 pmol/L, P = NS). TSH decrease was directly related to baseline TSH but did not correlate with EWL.

Conclusions

This is the first study to evaluate changes in thyroid hormone levels following LSG for morbid obesity. TSH decrease and steady levels of FT4 are expected following LSG. These findings are comparable to reported changes following LRYGB. TSH decrease was not associated with EWL. Further studies are required to elucidate the exact mechanism of this effect.

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Yasmin Abu-Ghanem, Dr. Roy Inbar, Dr. Vitaly Tyomkin, Dr. Ilan Kent, Dr. Liron Berkovich, Dr. Ronen Ghinea, and Dr. Shmuel Avital declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Statement of Human and Animal Rights

This study has been approved by the appropriate institutional research committee and has been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Statement of Informed Consent

For this type of study (retrospective in nature), formal consent is not required. (An exemption from informed consent for this study was given by the institutional research committee as the data were retrospectively retrieved from an existing prospectively and routinely collected database.)

Funding Source

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery B, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel

    Yasmin Abu-Ghanem, Roy Inbar, Vitaly Tyomkin, Ilan Kent, Liron Berkovich, Ronen Ghinea & Shmuel Avital

Authors
  1. Yasmin Abu-Ghanem
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  2. Roy Inbar
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  3. Vitaly Tyomkin
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  4. Ilan Kent
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  5. Liron Berkovich
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  6. Ronen Ghinea
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  7. Shmuel Avital
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shmuel Avital.

Additional information

Yasmin Abu-Ghanem and Roy Inbar contributed equally to this work.

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Abu-Ghanem, Y., Inbar, R., Tyomkin, V. et al. Effect of Sleeve Gastrectomy on Thyroid Hormone Levels. OBES SURG 25, 452–456 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-014-1415-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-014-1415-7

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