Trends in metabolic surgery in reproductive-age women in Australia

Obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are common and have important reproductive consequences: ‘metabolic surgery’ – bariatric surgery and laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) – have roles in their management. Using national data to determine age-stratified incidence rates of these procedures, we found that bariatric surgery is much more common than LOD. While the uptake of bariatric surgery is rapidly increasing, there has been a decline in the use of LOD in young women. It seems likely that other forms of care for PCOS-related anovulation resistant to clomiphene, such as the use of letrozole or in vitro fertilisation, are taking the place of LOD.