A narrative review of bariatric surgery in Indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples suffer high rates of obesity and obesity-related disease worldwide. Currently, bariatric surgery is the most effective intervention for severe obesity and obesity-related disease. The role bariatric surgery plays in alleviating the obesity burden amongst Indigenous peoples is unknown. We aimed to collate studies investigating bariatric surgery in Indigenous peoples and to provide a simple framework to use in future research surrounding this important issue.

We conducted a systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies that investigated outcomes for Indigenous peoples at any point along the bariatric surgery journey were included.

Six articles were included in this review. Three studies investigated access to bariatric surgery and the remaining three studies investigated short to long-term outcomes following bariatric surgery. A narrative review was performed given study heterogeneity and quality of included studies. Indigenous peoples had lower access to bariatric surgery and in one study had greater weight loss in comparison to non-Indigenous peoples.

Despite a paucity of studies, it appears that there is emerging interest in investigating bariatric surgery among Indigenous peoples. We encourage those who seek to investigate this important issue at any point along the bariatric surgery journey, to do so using an equity-based approach.