Oral Contraceptives after Bariatric Surgery

Objective: Bariatric surgery offers a highly effective mode of treatment for obese patients. Some procedures such as bypass cause an alteration in normal gastrointestinal tract with possible consequences for the uptake of orally administered drugs.

Methods: We assessed the literature to ascertain whether the use of oral drugs and especially oral contraceptives is effective and adequate after bariatric surgery.

Results: The bioavailability of drugs could be affected by the solubility and pH of the modified medium after bariatric surgery and by the loss of gastrointestinal transporters. Bariatric surgery could potentially result in a transient change in the absorption of drugs such as analgesics, antibiotics, antiarrhythmics, anticoagulants, psychotropic, and oral contraceptive drugs. Effective contraception is especially critical in the postoperative period, and implants might be representing a safe contraceptive method in women undergoing bariatric surgery.

Conclusion: Each drug will have to be evaluated with respect to its site of absorption and its mechanism of absorption, with special attention on parameters influencing the effectiveness of the absorption processes.