ALCOHOL USE DISORDER AND DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS AFTER UNDERGOING BARIATRIC SURGERY.

Background: Research indicates that patients undergoing bariatric surgery face a six to seven times higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) compared with the population of obese individuals not undergoing surgical intervention. Studies suggest that problematic alcohol consumption encompassing depression escalates gradually after surgery.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of bariatric surgery on the incidence of AUD and depression during the postoperative period.

Methods: Prospective study that evaluated 68 patients who underwent either sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The presence of AUD and depression was assessed both pre- and post-operatively. AUD assessment utilized the AUD identification test-C score, whereas depression assessment employed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Results: The average age of the sample was 42.81±9.28 years, with 85.3% being female. The mean follow-up was 16.54±7.41 months. In the preoperative assessment, 92.6% of the sample fell into the low-risk category for AUD. No significant difference was observed between the RYGB and SG groups. Postoperatively, 89.7% of the sample was classified as low risk for AUD, with no significant differences compared with the preoperative assessment. Regarding depression, there was no significant difference between pre- and post-operative periods for all patients. However, a notable trend toward a reduction in "severe depression" was observed in the postoperative period for patients undergoing SG (pre: 14.0% vs. post: 7.0%, p=0.013).

Conclusions: There is no significant difference in the presence of AUD and depression between pre- and post-operative assessments in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery.