Top

Obesity Surgery

Published in:

01-12-2015 | Original Contributions

Olfactory and Gustatory Function After Bariatric Surgery

Authors: Franca Holinski, Charalambos Menenakos, Georg Haber, Heidi Olze, Juergen Ordemann

Published in: Obesity Surgery | Issue 12/2015

Abstract

Background

Neither hormone levels nor malabsorption alone fully explains the distinct weight loss after bariatric surgery in morbidly obese patients. Postoperatively, patients regularly report a change in the sense of taste and the development of food aversions. Hedonic and sensory components like olfactory and gustatory stimuli significantly affect appetite and flavour.

Methods

We prospectively analysed the orthonasal olfactory and gustatory function with psychophysical testing in 44 patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or adjustable gastric banding (AGB) and in 23 healthy controls.

Results

About 22.7 % of morbidly obese patients were hyposmic, showing significantly lower threshold-discrimination-identification (TDI) scores (p = 0.009) with decreased discrimination and identification ability. In addition, 22.7 % of patients were tested to be limited in gustatory function, with significantly lower taste strip test (TST) scores (p = 0.003). Six months after surgery, olfactory and gustatory function was not different when compared to healthy controls.

Conclusions

Due to obesity, patients frequently show impaired olfactory and gustatory function. Six months after laparoscopic bariatric surgery, both chemosensory functions improve. The TDI test is an appropriate tool to measure olfactory function in obese patients.

Finucane MM, Stevens GA, Cowan MJ, et al. National, regional, and global trends in body-mass index since 1980: systematic analysis of health examination surveys and epidemiological studies with 960 country-years and 9.1 million participants. Lancet. 2011;377:557–67.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Jurowich C, Germer CT, Seyfried F, et al. Metabolic surgery. Chirurg. 2012;83(6):583–98. Review. German.CrossRefPubMed

Tichansky DS, Boughter Jr JD, Madan AK. Taste change after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2006;2(4):440–4.CrossRefPubMed

Romanova IV, Ramos EJ, Xu Y, et al. Neurobiologic changes in the hypothalamus associated with weight loss after gastric bypass. J Am Coll Surg. 2004;199:887–95.CrossRefPubMed

Schultes B, Ernst B, Wilms B, et al. Hedonic hunger is increased in severely obese patients and is reduced after gastric bypass surgery. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92(2):277–83.CrossRefPubMed

Yeomans MR. Olfactory influences on appetite and satiety in humans. Physiol Behav. 2006;89:10–4.CrossRefPubMed

de Wijk RA, Polet IA, Engelen L, et al. Amount of ingested custard dessert as affected by its color, odor, and texture. Physiol Behav. 2004;82(2–3):397–403.PubMed

Jurowich CF, Seyfried F, Miras AD, et al. Does bariatric surgery change olfactory perception? Results of the early postoperative course. Int J Color Dis. 2014;29(2):253–60.CrossRef

Richardson BE, Vanderwoude EA, Sudan R, et al. Gastric bypass does not influence olfactory function in obese patients. Obes Surg. 2012;22(2):283–6.CrossRefPubMed

10.

Miras AD, le Roux CW. Bariatric surgery and taste: novel mechanisms of weight loss. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2010;26(2):140–5. Review.CrossRefPubMed

11.

Kasama K, Mui W, Lee WJ, et al. IFSO-APC consensus statements 2011. Obes Surg. 2012;22(5):677–84.CrossRefPubMed

12.

Hummel T, Sekinger B, Wolf SR, et al. Sniffin’ sticks: olfactory performance assessed by the combined testing of odor identification, odor discrimination and olfactory threshold. Chem Senses. 1997;22(1):39–52.CrossRefPubMed

13.

Kobal G, Klimek L, Wolfensberger M, et al. Multicenter investigation of 1036 subjects using a standardized method for the assessment of olfactory function combining tests of odor identification, odor discrimination, and olfactory thresholds. Eur Arch Ororhinolaryngol. 2000;257:205–11.CrossRef

14.

Mueller C, Kallert S, Renner B, et al. Quantitative assessment of gustatory function in a clinical context using impregnated “taste strips”. Rhinology. 2003;41:2–6.PubMed

15.

Thiebaud N, Johnson MC, Butler JL, et al. Hyperlipidemic diet causes loss of olfactory sensory neurons, reduces olfactory discrimination, and disrupts odor-reversal learning. J Neurosci. 2014;34(20):6970–84.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

16.

Palouzier-Paulignan B, Lacroix MC, Aimé P, et al. Olfaction under metabolic influences. Chem Senses. 2012;37(9):769–97.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

17.

Overberg J, Hummel T, Krude H, et al. Differences in taste sensitivity between obese and non-obese children and adolescents. Arch Dis Child. 2012;97(12):1048–52.CrossRefPubMed

18.

Goldstein GL, Daun H, Tepper BJ. Adiposity in middle-aged women is associated with genetic taste blindness to 6-n-propylthiouracil. Obes Res. 2005;13(6):1017–23.CrossRefPubMed

19.

Itoh I, Ikui A, Ikeda M, et al. Taste disorder involving Hunter’s glossitis following total gastrectomy. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 2002;546:159–63.CrossRefPubMed

20.

Martin B, Dotson CD, Shin YK, et al. Modulation of taste sensitivity by GLP-1 signaling in taste buds. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009;1170:98–101.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

21.

Shin YK, Martin B, Kim W, et al. Ghrelin is produced in taste cells and ghrelin receptor null mice show reduced taste responsivity to salty (NaCl) and sour (citric acid) tastants. PLoS One. 2010;5(9), e12729.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

22.

Tschop M, Weyer C, Tataranni PA, et al. Circulating ghrelin levels are decreased in human obesity. Diabetes. 2001;50:707–9.CrossRefPubMed

23.

Hussein MS, Abushady MM, Refaat S, et al. Plasma level of glucagon-like peptide 1 in obese Egyptians with normal and impaired glucose tolerance. Arch Med Res. 2014;45(1):58–62.CrossRefPubMed

24.

Szalay C, Aradi M, Schwarcz A, et al. Gustatory perception alterations in obesity: an fMRI study. Brain Res. 2012;1473:131–40.CrossRefPubMed

25.

Rao RS. Bariatric surgery and the central nervous system. Obes Surg. 2012;22(6):967–78.CrossRefPubMed

Title: Olfactory and Gustatory Function After Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Franca Holinski
Charalambos Menenakos
Georg Haber
Heidi Olze
Juergen Ordemann
Publication date: 01-12-2015
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Obesity Surgery / Issue 12/2015
Print ISSN: 0960-8923
Electronic ISSN: 1708-0428
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-015-1683-x

2024 ASCO Annual Meeting

Springer Medicine

Olfactory and Gustatory Function After Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

2024 ASCO Annual Meeting

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 12/2015

Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life After Bariatric Surgery

Physical Activity in the Immediate Postoperative Phase in Patients Undergoing Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass—a Randomized Controlled Trial

A Simple Technique for Jejunojejunal Revision in Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

Management of Type 1 Late Sleeve Leak with Gastrobronchial Fistula by Laparoscopic Suturing and Conversion to Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: Video Report

Bariatric Surgery and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: a Systematic Review of Liver Biochemistry and Histology

Gastric Band Surgery Leads to Improved Insulin Secretion in Overweight People with Type 2 Diabetes