Assessment of the Long-Term Negative Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Health in Saudi Adults, Over 3 Years After Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Study
December 2025
in “
Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health
”
Studysummary In this study, Saudi Arabian adults experienced high rates of long-term complications and significant weight regain more than 5 years after bariatric surgery, emphasizing the need for ongoing follow-up and nutritional management to address these issues. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
This study assessed the long-term complications of bariatric surgery in 495 Saudi adults, more than 3 years post-surgery. Common issues included hair loss (68.5%), mood swings (50.5%), bone pain (43.8%), lethargy (41.2%), anemia (23.4%), and gallstones (19.3%), with gallstones significantly associated with surgeries over 5 years ago. Females reported more bone pain and muscle cramps than males. Significant weight regain was noted in those operated on 5 or more years ago. The study underscores the need for intensive long-term follow-up, nutritional management, and public education on the lifelong consequences of bariatric surgery.
