Bariatric surgery increases fracture risk

After weight loss surgery, people have nearly twice the expected risk of breaking a bone and an even higher risk of a foot or hand fracture.

"This finding is unexpected," said study co-author Jackie Clowes, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. "The established opinion is that obesity protects against osteoporosis and, therefore, fractures."

Past research shows that bariatric surgery results in an increased bone turnover, the rate of bone breakdown and bone formation.

The researchers therefore reviewed the medical records of patients who had bariatric surgery to treat medically complicated obesity, performed at Mayo Clinic between 1985 and 2004, and looked at data, including postoperative fractures. So far, the authors have analyzed data for 97 of the 292 patients whose records are available.

Bonnie - why would this be unexpected? Unless the patient eats perfectly and takes the correct supplements after surgery, there will be bone loss issues.