Stomach bacterium found in patients undergoing weight loss surgery

By Geoff Michaels, June 15th, 2013 | Health | 0 Comments

There is a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among those who are going to have surgery for obesity.
Helicobacter pylori is a stomach bacterium which is strongly linked to gastrointestinal disease such as ulcers and cancer. It is found in 20 to 50 per cent of those in industrialized countries. A group at Emory University, Atlanta, reports that H. pylori infection is common among those seeking surgery for obesity.

They studied 16 men and 83 women with an average body mass index of 48 who were seeking weight loss surgery. Nearly a quarter tested positive for H. pylori and, of these, around half had some gastro-intestinal symptoms after the surgery. These received treatment but the researchers suggest it might be helpful to have the infection eradicated before surgery.