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The impact of bariatric and metabolic surgery on the morbidity and mortality of patients infected during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective cohort study

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Since the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in March 2020, several studies have shown a strong relationship between obesity and severe cases of COVID-19. It is imperative to assess whether bariatric surgery exerts a protective effect in such cases.

OBJECTIVE:

This study aimed to assess the impact of bariatric surgery on the morbidity and mortality in obese patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive search was performed using the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases.

DESIGN AND SETTING:

Retrospective cohort studies conducted in the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo (SP), Brazil.

METHODS:

The search comprised the following descriptors: “bariatric, surgery, COVID-19”. Current retrospective cohort studies that examined the influence of bariatric surgery on the morbidity and mortality of obese patients during the COVID-19 pandemic were considered eligible.

RESULTS:

After removing duplicates, 184 studies were obtained from the databases. Of these, 181 were excluded from the analysis as they did not meet the eligibility criteria. Patients undergoing postoperative follow-up of bariatric surgery had a similar probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population, and persistent comorbidities were associated with an increased risk and severity of infection.

CONCLUSION:

Bariatric surgery has a protective effect against severe COVID-19 in the obese population, bringing the prevalence of severe disease cases to levels equivalent to those of the nonobese general population, with a positive impact on morbidity and mortality.

KEYWORDS (MeSH terms):
Bariatric surgery; Obesity; COVID-19; Body mass index

AUTHOR’S KEYWORDS:
Comorbidities; Protective factor; Hospitalization rate; Infection rate

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