ArticleThe world journal of men's health2025
Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Male Infertility: An Updated Meta-Analysis and Literature Review.
Article in The world journal of men's health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Metabolic and bariatric surgery and male endocrine and reproductive health: a GRADE-assessed meta-analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Anti-Müllerian Hormone as a Biomarker for Predicting Testicular Sperm Extraction Outcomes in Azoospermic Patients: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy of Lingji Formula in the Treatment of Male Infertility in Obese Men: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of general medicine · 2026Article
- Bridging Methodology and Clinical Relevance: Toward More Robust Evidence for Antiox-idant Therapy in Male Infertility.International braz j urol : official journal of the Brazilian Society of UrologyArticle
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeWe aimed to perform a meta-analysis to assess the evolution of sperm parameters and some sex hormones in obese males with idiopathic infertility who underwent bariatric surgery. MATERIALS AND
methodsWe systematically searched MEDLINE and Embase databases for studies that documented sperm parameters and sex hormones before and after surgery.
resultsTwelve studies have been included with a total of 285 patients. The heterogeneity was deemed moderate, with an I² value of 28%. The random effects model analysis indicated a statistically significant negative association between weight loss surgery and sperm concentration. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was -5.44, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) ranging from -7.65 to -3.22. The p-value was <0.0001. Twelve articles recorded the sperm volume before and after undergoing bariatric surgery. The analysis revealed no statistically significant alteration in sperm volume following surgery (SMD=-0.16, 95% CI -0.53-0.22; p=0.42). We assessed the total sperm count available in seven studies. The analysis did not prove any significant difference between groups (SMD=12.29, 95% CI -15.01-39.58; p=0.38). Evaluated in five studies, semen pH did not evolve significantly (SMD=-0.02, 95% CI -0.12-0.09; p=0.76). Also, total motility did not improve significantly (SMD=0.61, CI -2.86-4.09; p=0.73), and the included studies had a low heterogeneity (I²=29%). Following bariatric surgery, there was a significant increase in levels of both total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) (SMD=-6.40, 95% CI -9.12 to -3.67, p<0.00001 for total testosterone and -22.22, 95% CI -26.11 to -18.33, p<0.00001 for SHBG).
conclusionsOur data suggests that bariatric surgery does not provide any benefits in terms of sperm parameters. Obesity likely affects fertility through processes that are not well understood.
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