A scoping review of the phenomenon of osteoporosis in post bariatric surgical patients

Background Risk factors, preventive treatment, and increased prevalence of fragility fractures in post-bariatric surgical patients have been researched, however, little is known about how patients’ perspectives of osteoporosis risk determine their commitment to bone health. Purpose The purpose of this review was to provide an overview and appraisal of the research regarding osteoporosis in post bariatric surgical patients, as well as to identify gaps in the literature in this area. Methods Data bases searched included OVID Medline, CINAHL, and EMBASE which included ahead of print articles that had not yet been indexed. Relevant key words were used independently and in combination: “osteoporosis,” “morbid obesity,” and “bariatric surgery.” Results A total of 24 quantitative studies and 15 qualitative studies were retrieved for this review; none of the qualitative studies examined both osteoporosis and bariatric surgery. Conclusion The current trend in bariatric surgical patients regarding osteoporosis is to examine the degree of bone loss based on significant influences including extent of weight loss, years since surgery, type of procedure performed, and subject selection. Patient perceptions about osteoporosis risk after bariatric surgery were rarely addressed.