Effect of Sleeve Gastrectomy on Platelet Counts and Mean Platelet Volumes

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder associated with cardiovascular disease, characterized by a chronic proinflammatory and prothrombotic state. The size and hemostatic potential of circulating platelets (PLTs) differ, with larger PLTs containing more granules and producing greater amounts of vasoactive and prothrombotic factors. This study aimed to investigate the effect of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) on PLT count and mean platelet volume (MPV) in morbidly obese patients.

Two hundred five patients (females, n = 143; males, n = 62) who attended monitoring visits in the period prior to LSG and for 6 months after surgery were included in this study. Routine physical examination findings and laboratory parameters recorded preoperatively were compared with the same parameters in the postoperative 6th month.

The mean age of the patients was 37.36 ± 10.93 years. The mean preoperative body mass index (BMI) of the patients was 47.65 kg/m², whereas the mean postoperative BMI at 6 months was 31.49 kg/m². Prior to LSG, the mean PLT count was 314.16 ± 76.40 × 10⁹/L. At the postoperative 6th month, the mean PLT count was significantly reduced (263.17 ± 65.67 × 10⁹/L, p < 0.001). In the preoperative period, the MPV was 10.12 ± 0.88 fL. In the postoperative period, it was significantly increased (10.41 ± 1.23 fL, p > 0.001). Both preoperatively and postoperatively, PLT counts were significantly higher in females than in males. After LSG, the MPV increased in both females and males.

The results demonstrated that PLT counts decreased and MPV levels increased significantly after LSG and that the decrease in PLT counts was independent of changes in BMI.