Effect of Sleeve Gastrectomy on Thyroid Hormone Levels

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/m 2 ( P