Outcomes of ovulation induction in obese women with infertility after bariatric surgery

To compare pregnancy rate (PR) and clinical pregnancy rates between obese women with a history of bariatric surgery and nonoperated controls undergoing ovulation induction (OI).

Retrospective case-control study.

Twenty-seven women with surgical weight loss in the case group (group 1), 2 nonoperated age-matched control groups consisting of 27 women with body mass index (BMI) similar to the preoperative BMI of case group (group 2), and 28 women matched by postoperative BMI of the case group (group 3).

Bariatric surgery before OIs.

Cumulative PR and clinical pregnancy rates (CPRs).

Group 1 cases and the 2 nonoperated obese control groups had pretreatment BMIs of 34.67, 41.51, and 35.83 kg/m², respectively. Each underwent 64 (group 1), 80 (group 2), and 68 (group 3) OI cycles. No significant differences were found in the mean follicular phase lengths (11.13, 13.39, and 12.14 days) and peak estradiol levels (166.17, 278.36, and 246.43 pg/mL). The outcomes of cumulative pregnancy rate were 12.50%, 10.00%, and 20.59% across the 3 groups. The cumulative CPR showed a trend toward improvement in group 3 (9.38%, 6.25%, and 19.12%).

Among women with infertility undergoing OIs, surgical weight loss may improve CPR despite a persistent obese postoperative BMI.