From the Research
Weight loss surgery does not increase the risk of pancreatitis, and in fact, patients with a history of bariatric surgery have lower mortality, morbidity, and resource utilization due to acute pancreatitis compared to those without a history of bariatric surgery. This is based on the most recent and highest quality study available, which found that patients with a history of bariatric surgery had a lower mortality rate for acute pancreatitis (0.42%) compared to those without a history of bariatric surgery 1. The study also found that patients with a history of bariatric surgery had lower rates of acute kidney insufficiency, shock, ICU admission, multiorgan failure, and resource utilization due to acute pancreatitis.
Some of the key findings from the study include:
- Lower mortality rate for acute pancreatitis in patients with a history of bariatric surgery (0.42%) compared to those without a history of bariatric surgery 1
- Lower rates of acute kidney insufficiency, shock, ICU admission, multiorgan failure, and resource utilization due to acute pancreatitis in patients with a history of bariatric surgery 1
- Patients with a history of bariatric surgery who developed acute pancreatitis had a lower risk of mortality and morbidity compared to those without a history of bariatric surgery 1
It's worth noting that while some studies have suggested that weight loss surgery may increase the risk of pancreatitis in some patients, particularly in the first few years after surgery 2, 3, the most recent and highest quality study available suggests that this is not the case 1. Therefore, patients who undergo weight loss surgery should not be considered to be at increased risk of pancreatitis, and should be monitored and treated in the same way as patients without a history of bariatric surgery.