Weight loss surgery may lead men towards sperm aberrations and lower fertility rates: Study

An atypical study led by a group of scientists from the Emory University School of Medicine in the US has shown that men who undergo bariatric or weight loss surgery may suffer semen abnormalities and reduced fertility in future.

Researchers conducted the study on a group of people who underwent Roux- en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and finally came to the decision that despite improvements in weight and androgen levels they are suffering from sperm aberrations and lower fertility rates.

Gastric bypass surgery involves dividing the stomach into a small upper pouch and a much larger lower "remnant" pouch and then rearranging the small intestine to connect to both.

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Researchers, including those from Harvard Medical School in the US, 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.

The study, published in the journal Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care has also identified elevated levels of the oestrogen hormone estradiol and deficient vitamin D as factors that could negatively impact semen and fertility among the RYGB group.

Being asked about their latest findings lead author Edward Lin has said, "This study is one important piece in solving the puzzle of male infertility."

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"The challenge is to see if correcting hormonal and micro-nutrient aberrations are enough to reverse male infertility," Lin was quoted further.