body composition; body weight; bone mineral density; hip circumference; laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy; obesity; waist circumference

Changes in body weight, waist and hip circumferences, body composition, and skeletal status inwomen after bariatric surgery were evaluated. Thirty-six women [mean age 41.2 (SD) 9.5 years, weight 115.7 +/- 18.0kg, and BMI 42.1 +/- 5.3kg/m(2)] underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Bonemineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip, and total body, and body compositionwere evaluated at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences decreased significantly. Total body bone mineral content (TBBMC) increased by 2.5 +/- 3.5%, and fat, lean body mass, total mass and fat-% decreased significantly by 38.9 +/- 12.0%, 15.4 +/- 5.9%, 26.5 +/- 8.1%, and 17.6 +/- 8.9%, respectively. Slight decreases in total body (0.6 +/- 2.2%) and spine (1.2 +/- 7.1%) BMD were not significant, whereas total hip and femoral neck BMD decreased significantly by 5.3 +/- 8.2%, and 6.2 +/- 7.0% (p<0.001).