Celiac Disease and Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review of Current Literature

Abstract

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is a clinical entity increasingly recognized in the severe obese population and its impact on outcomes following bariatric surgery is not currently understood. We aimed to systematically review the nutritional and clinical outcomes for patients with obesity and CD following bariatric surgery. Methods: Systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted in September 2021. Study followed PRISMA guidelines. Studies evaluating adult patients with CD undergoing bariatric surgery were included. Outcomes were descriptive due to limited studies. Results: Our literature review produced 9 studies with 152 patients. The weighted mean age of included patients was 44.2 years (±9.55 years) and 98% (n = 149) were female. Patients diagnosed with CD post-operatively appear to experience substantial perioperative and nutritional complications following bariatric surgery. However, pre-operative diagnosis may allow patient optimization and current studies suggest similar bariatric surgery outcomes can be achieved in these patients when the diagnosis is known. However, this study also highlights a scarcity of evidence evaluating the rate of CD and outcomes for these patients after bariatric surgery. Conclusion: Current literature lacks quality, comparative studies investigating the short- and long-term surgical complications and nutritional outcomes of bariatric surgery within patients who have co-diagnoses of obesity and CD. Despite these limitations, our group recommends pre-operative CD screening in patients experiencing either classical GI symptoms of CD including diarrhea, steatorrhea, bloating, or undifferentiated abdominal pain.