Effects of Bariatric Surgery on COVID-19: a Multicentric Study from a High Incidence Area

• DOI: 10.1007/s11695-020-05193-w
• Publication Date: 2021-01-08T08:27:02Z
• Authors: Federico Marchesi; Marina Valente; Matteo Riccò; Matteo Rottoli; Edoardo Baldini; Fouzia Mecheri; Stefano Bonilauri; Sergio Boschi; Paolo Bernante; Andrea Sciannamea; Jessica Rolla; Alice Francescato; Ruggero Bollino; Concetto Cartelli; Andrea Lanaia; Francesca Anzolin; Paolo Del Rio; Diletta Fabbi; Gabriele Luciano ...; Francesco Tartamella; Giorgio Dalmonte
• Keywords: Bariatric surgery; 2. Zero hunger; Nutrition and Dietetics; SARS-CoV-2; Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism; Incidence; 610; Bariatric Surgery; COVID-19; Original Contribution; Obesity, Morbid; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Italy; 616; Humans; Surgery; Obesity; Bariatric surgery; COVID-19; Obesity; SARS-CoV-2

The favorable effects of bariatric surgery (BS) on overall pulmonary function and obesity-related comorbidities could influence SARS-CoV-2 clinical expression. This has been investigated comparing COVID-19 incidence and clinical course between a cohort of patients submitted to BS and a cohort of candidates for BS during the spring outbreak in Italy.From April to August 2020, 594 patients from 6 major bariatric centers in Emilia-Romagna were administered an 87-item telephonic questionnaire. Demographics, COVID-19 incidence, suggestive symptoms, and clinical outcome parameters of operated patients and candidates to BS were compared. The incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 was assessed including the clinical definition of probable case, according to World Health Organization criteria.Three hundred fifty-three operated patients (Op) and 169 candidates for BS (C) were finally included in the statistical analysis. While COVID-19 incidence confirmed by laboratory tests was similar in the two groups (5.7% vs 5.9%), lower incidence of most of COVID-19-related symptoms, such as anosmia (p: 0.046), dysgeusia (p: 0.049), fever with rapid onset (p: 0.046) were recorded among Op patients, resulting in a lower rate of probable cases (14.4% vs 23.7%; p: 0.009). Hospitalization was more frequent in C patients (2.4% vs 0.3%, p: 0.02). One death in each group was reported (0.3% vs 0.6%). Previous pneumonia and malignancies resulted to be associated with symptomatic COVID-19 at univariate and multivariate analysis.Patients submitted to BS seem to develop less severe SARS-CoV-2 infection than subjects suffering from obesity.