Bariatric surgery may reduce fertility in men

Washington D.C.: Beware! Men undergoing bariatric surgery may be at increased risk of sperm aberrations and lower fertility rates despite improvements in weight, androgen levels and sexual quality of life.

Researchers discussed the possible impact of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on male reproductive capability.

The team compared the long-term effects of weight loss following RYGB among a group of sexually active men attempting to conceive with a partner to the semen parameters and fertility of obese men who did not undergo bariatric surgery and to a control group of lean men.

They identified elevated levels of the estrogen hormone estradiol and deficient vitamin D as factors that could negatively impact semen and fertility among the RYGB group.

"This study is one important piece in solving the puzzle of male infertility. The challenge is to see if correcting hormonal and micronutrient aberrations are enough to reverse male infertility," says Editor-in-Chief Edward Lin from Emory University's school of medicine in Atlanta.

The research appears in Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care journal.