Benign Anorectal Disorders and Pelvic Floor Disease After Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

The correlations between morbid obesity, bariatric surgery and gastrointestinal disorders are well known and reported. Symptoms like abdominal pain, constipation, bloating, heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease are known to be significantly more prevalent in overweight patients and body mass index is associated positively with abdominal pain and diarrhea. In spite of these conditions, less is known about the lower gastrointestinal tract. Of these, anorectal disorders and pelvic floor disease are both believed to be more frequent in obese patients compared to the general population. Weight loss related to bariatric surgery seems to improve quality of life and weight-related symptoms, although some of these conditions may get worse. All these conditions are rarely studied in patients undergoing bariatric surgery for morbid obesity. This concise review aimed to focus on these conditions in patients undergoing bariatric surgery for morbid obesity in order to improve patient selection and post-operative management.