Major imbalance of thyroid function after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Abstract

In patients with substituted hypothyroidism, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy may interfere with thyroid balance by varying body weight or by altering the absorption of hormone therapy. A 58-year-old female patient presented with a major thyroid imbalance after sleeve gastrectomy, manifesting itself in large-scale changes in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. The transition from a tablet treatment to a liquid form alleviated burden of treatment, unfortunately without normalising TSH. Our case emphasises the importance of the understanding of hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid feedback control mechanisms together with good galenic choice, management of associated conditions and the elimination of other causes of variations of TSH levels during the management of hypothyroid patients after sleeve gastrectomy.