Correlation and Factors Influencing Knee Pain Status among Patients who Underwent Sleeve Gastrectomy in Saudi Arabia: A Cross Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to see if there was a link between individuals who had a sleeve gastrectomy and their knee discomfort, as well as what factors could influence knee pain after a sleeve gastrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The general population of Saudi Arabia was studied in this cross-sectional survey, which took place from August 2021 to February 2022. Only people who had had a sleeve gastrectomy and were experiencing knee discomfort were included in the research. RESULTS: The results revealed that bariatric surgery had improved knee pain status in most of the participants (76%) while (12.1%) complained that the pain worsened after the surgery. The results also showed that nearly half of our participants (49.8%) that complain of knee pain have lost more than 35 kg after bariatric surgery, which illustrates the impact of a number of kilograms (kg) lost after bariatric surgery. Only (12.8%) of the participants considered physiotherapy as an intervention for their knee pain. Also, the results showed that severe pain was considerably more prevalent in the older age group and those with concomitant chronic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our data revealed that a small percentage of participants had worsening knee discomfort, which might be connected to inactivity following sleeve gastrectomy surgery. As a result, we urge that further clinical studies be conducted to learn more about the exacerbation of knee pain after a gastrectomy.