Bariatric Surgery and Risk of Urolithiasis: A Review

Abstract

Obesity is a global epidemic for which dietary and lifestyle modifications alone are ineffective treatment strategies. Subsequently, more patients are opting for bariatric surgery, which has better success rates in weight loss and improvement of obesity-related comorbidities. These procedures involve anatomic alterations of the gastrointestinal tract resulting in either restriction of intake or malabsorption of nutrients. While obesity itself is an independent risk factor for urolithiasis, bariatric surgery may also adversely affect stone risk. Restrictive procedures appear to have the lowest risk, whereas malabsorptive procedures are associated with the highest risks of stone formation. Stone prevention strategies including dietary manipulation are critical in the management of the patients who have had bariatric surgery.