Effect of bariatric surgery on in vitro fertilization in infertile men with obesity

Background: Obesity has previously been related to reduced female fertility, with prolonged waiting time to pregnancy among women with a body mass index (BMI) >35 kg/m2 but there are few studies investigating the relationship between high BMI, bariatric surgery, and male fertility. Objectives: The primary objective of this article was to investigate the effect of bariatric surgery on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in a cohort of men with morbid obesity who underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Setting: University hospital, bariatric surgery unit. Methods: Pre- and postsurgery data on patient age, body mass index (BMI), and variables related to male fertility (semen volume, concentration, progressively motile sperm count, and sperm morphology) were collected; assisted reproductive technology outcomes before and after bariatric surgery were measured by the number of metaphase II oocytes; the number of top-quality oocytes and embryos; the number of fertilized oocytes; the number of transferred embryo; the implantation rate; the pregnancy rate; the live birth rate and the miscarriage rate. Results: Thirty-five men with obesity and idiopathic infertility were included in this study. We found a significant increase, after bariatric surgery, in semen volume, total sperm concentration, progressively motile sperm count, and sperm morphology. Considering IVF outcomes, mean number of top-quality oocytes, mean number of fertilized oocytes, mean number of embryos obtained, and top-quality embryos were significantly increased after bariatric procedure. Conclusion: Bariatric surgery is confirmed to be safe and effective in increasing the outcomes of assisted reproductive technology treatment also in case of infertile men with obesity, both in terms of pregnancy and live birth rate.