Baseline TSH levels and short-term weight loss after different procedures of bariatric surgery

Background Bariatric surgery is a valuable therapeutic option in the treatment of obesity but the outcomes show a large subject-to-subject variability yet to be explained. Thyroid function may represent an involved factor and we have only few controversial data about its influence. Subjects/methods We retrospectively assessed using a longitudinal approach the relation between baseline TSH levels and short-term (6 and 12 months) weight loss in 387 euthyroid patients who underwent laparoscopic gastric banding (LAGB; n = 187) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG; n = 200). Results After LAGB, patients with low-normal TSH levels (0.40–1.40 mUI/L) had higher percent total weight loss, ∆BMI and percent excess weight loss when compared to patients with normal (1.41–2.48 mUI/L) and high-normal (2.49–4.00 mUI/L) TSH ( p