Post-bariatric hypoglycaemia diagnosed during pregnancy

Abstract

There is a scarcity of literature relating to post-bariatric hypoglycaemia (PBH) in pregnancy. Recurrent hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia can have significant consequences for both the mother and the developing fetus. We describe a case of a young pregnant woman who was diagnosed with symptomatic PBH in the second trimester of pregnancy using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) 3 years after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Instigating a low glycaemic index and complex carbohydrate diet significantly improved the patient’s glycaemic excursions. Given that this condition is likely underdiagnosed as a complication of RYGB surgery, a greater awareness of this complication is needed. Patients should be adequately consented pre-operatively for this relatively frequent late surgical complication to enable patients to identify symptoms of this condition at an early stage and seek medical treatment.