Pregnancy following gastric bypass surgery (Roux-en-Y) for morbid obesity

Morbidly obese women are at increased risk of obstetric complications and poor neonatal outcomes. Gastric bypass surgery is being performed with increased frequency in reproductive-aged women to treat morbid obesity. Both maternal and fetal complications have been reported in women who underwent gastric bypass surgery. Current recommendations advise delaying pregnancy for at least 1 year following bariatric surgery. This guideline is meant to discourage women from becoming pregnant during the rapid weight loss phase of the first post-surgical year. Pregnancy during this time could lead to a malnourished fetus, due to some protein malnutrition, possibly resulting in complications such as low birth weight or malformation. However, data validating this concern are lacking. We report a case of 37-year-old woman who had laparoscopic bypass surgery, as treatment for morbid obesity, 6 months prior to her pregnancy with good outcome despite the short duration between gastric bypass surgery and pregnancy.