Gut microbiota alterations and their role in the pathophysiology of obesity following bariatric surgery

Introduction: Obesity is a global epidemic associated with significant health risks, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders. Bariatric surgery remains the gold standard for achieving significant and sustained weight loss. This narrative review was created using literature searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Areas covered: Bariatric surgery induces shifts in gut microbiota composition, with changes in alpha and beta diversity and alters microbial phyla, such as Bacillota, Bacteroidota, Actinomycetota, Pseudomonadota, and Verrucomicrobiota. Genera and species belonging to these groups that have been associated with the pathophysiology of obesity are reported altered as well. These microbial changes, particularly after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, are generally linked to cardiometabolic improvements to gut hormone profiles and bile acid metabolism. Expert opinion: This review focuses on the changes in gut microbiota following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG), highlighting longitudinal human studies. Despite conflicting results, some genera, such as Veillonella, Streptococcus, and Akkermansia muciniphila, show consistent increases post-surgery and may serve as markers of metabolic improvements. The predominance of facultative anaerobes suggests a shift in the gut environment post-surgery. These findings are mainly associations and could be further developed into treatment with the use of next-generation probiotics.