Bottom Line: Short-term improvements in sexual functioning have been reported after weight-loss surgery but not much is known about whether these improvements last. This study included about 2,000 adults undergoing bariatric surgery who completed questionnaires about sexual functioning before and after surgery over five years of follow-up. Among those adults who reported some level of dissatisfaction with their sex life before surgery, researchers report about half of women and men experienced improvements in five years of follow-up. Fewer depressive symptoms before surgery and a decrease in depressive symptoms after surgery were associated with a better chance of improvement in sexual satisfaction for men and women, as well as in some other measures of sexual functioning. The study lacked a nonsurgical control group for comparison.
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Authors: Kristine Steffen, Pharm.D., Ph.D., North Dakota State University, Fargo, and coauthors
(doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2018.1162)
Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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JAMA Surgery