Contraception
Volume 82, Issue 1 , Pages 86-94, July 2010

Contraceptive use among women with a history of bariatric surgery: a systematic review☆

  • Melissa E. Paulen

      Affiliations

    • Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
    • ,
  • Lauren B. Zapata

      Affiliations

    • Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
    • ,
  • Catherine Cansino

      Affiliations

    • Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
    • ,
  • Kathryn M. Curtis

      Affiliations

    • Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 770 488 6397; fax: +1 770 488 6391.
    • ,
  • Denise J. Jamieson

      Affiliations

    • Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA

Received 3 February 2010; accepted 4 February 2010. published online 19 March 2010.

Abstract 

Background

Weight loss after bariatric surgery often improves fertility but can pose substantial risks to maternal and fetal outcomes. Women who have undergone a bariatric surgical procedure are currently advised to delay conception for up to 2 years.

Study Design

We conducted a systematic review of the literature, from database (PubMed) inception through February 2009, to evaluate evidence on the safety and effectiveness of contraceptive use among women with a history of bariatric surgery.

Results

From 29 articles, five met review inclusion criteria. One prospective, noncomparative study reported 2 pregnancies among 9 (22%) oral contraceptive (OC) users following biliopancreatic diversion, and one descriptive study reported no pregnancies among an unidentified number of women taking OCs following laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Of two pharmacokinetic studies, one found lower plasma levels of norethisterone and levonorgestrel among women having had a jejunoileal bypass, as compared to nonoperated, normal-weight controls. The other study found no difference in plasma levels of D-norgestrel between women having a jejunoileal bypass of either 1:3 or 3:1 ratio between the length of jejunum and ileum left in continuity, but women with a 1:3 ratio had significantly higher plasma levels of D-norgestrel than extremely obese controls not operated upon.

Conclusions

Evidence regarding OC effectiveness following a bariatric surgical procedure is quite limited, although no substantial decrease in effectiveness was identified from available studies. Evidence on failure rates for other contraceptive methods and evidence on safety for all contraceptive methods was not identified.

Keywords: Contraception, Bariatric surgery, Gastric bypass, Biliopancreatic diversion, Gastric banding, Systematic review

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☆ The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PII: S0010-7824(10)00052-1

doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2010.02.008

Contraception
Volume 82, Issue 1 , Pages 86-94, July 2010

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