Timing of Bariatric Surgery and COVID-19 Vaccination: Experience From a High-volume Single Center

During the last year, there was a large COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Italy. Concurrently, metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) restarted after a long period of discontinuity. No data are currently available on the best timing of COVID-19 vaccination for MBS candidates. The aim of this study was to report MBS outcomes in relation to the timing of COVID-19 vaccine administration.

A prospectively maintained database was utilized to locate patients undergoing MBS between January 1 and December 31, 2021. Patients were divided into 2 groups: patients receiving a vaccine dose within 30 days before or after surgery (Group±30); and patients with a longer time interval of vaccine dose before or after surgery (Group>±30). Postoperative outcomes were recorded and compared.

A total of 108 patients were included: 33 (30.6%) of whom were in Group±30 and 74(69.4%) in Group>30. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the 2 groups. Findings revealed that postoperative outcomes (ie, 30-d complications and length of stay postoperatively) were comparable between groups. Two patients in the ±30 group had mesenteric vein thrombosis after sleeve gastrectomy (SG); however, the rate of thrombosis events was comparable between groups ( P =0.09). Thrombosis between SG patients were not significantly different between the 2 groups.

COVID-19 vaccination within 30 days of MBS does not impact complication rates and length of stay. COVID-19 vaccination may have a negative impact on venous thrombosis after SG, but this study is underpowered to draw this conclusion. Larger studies should be conducted to replicate current study findings.