Gastric sleeve surgery, also known as vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), is one of the most popular bariatric procedures today. It is performed by removing a portion of the stomach and forming it into a sleeve shape, which reduces the patient’s ability to overeat in one sitting and reduces feelings of hunger.
One common comorbidity with obesity is polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. Losing weight can improve common PCOS symptoms and lead to an overall improved quality of life, however it’s not quite that easy. As a result, many women with PCOS turn to bariatric procedures like the gastric sleeve.
If you have PCOS and are looking into gastric sleeve surgery, read on to learn how you gastric sleeve can improve your symptoms.
Symptoms of PCOS
PCOS is not well understood, but we do know that PCOS is a disorder of the endocrine system, which is responsible for the production of hormones in the body. Symptoms of PCOS include irregular periods, lack of ovulation, increased levels of testosterone and other androgen hormones, and ovarian cysts. These symptoms may result in other symptoms such as hair loss, hirsutism (or excess facial hair), acne, and insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is linked with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and high blood pressure. It’s thought that PCOS has an effect on insulin resistance, which can make it more likely for women with this condition to become obese. However, the real reasons for why PCOS and obesity are linked are still unclear.
How Weight Loss Helps PCOS
Fat cells produce hormones, and too much of these hormones can cause metabolic problems. Weight loss, or specifically fat loss, is linked with improvements in insulin resistance, hormone production, ovulation, and period regularity. Behavioral modifications that lead to weight loss can improve PCOS symptoms, however many of these changes do not stick for a wide variety of reasons. For this reason, many obese women with PCOS decide to get bariatric surgery.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery and PCOS
Because obesity is a common comorbidity with PCOS, severely obese women who get gastric sleeve surgery may see improvements in their PCOS symptoms as well. There is no additional risk for PCOS patients posed by bariatric procedures.
With that said, rapid weight loss may also induce symptoms like period irregularity and lack of ovulation. This is because of the hormonal changes happening in the body as a result of weight loss.
Gastric sleeve surgery, or any bariatric surgery, is not a treatment for PCOS but a treatment for obesity. Treating obesity can improve PCOS symptoms, but it is not expected to deal with the root cause of PCOS.
Learn more about gastric sleeve surgery: What Will Happen If You Eat Solid Food Right After Gastric Sleeve? Nothing Good
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