title: Olfactory and Gustatory Function After Bariatric Surgery.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head, and Neck Surgery, Charité, University Medicine Berlin, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany. franca.holinski@charite.de.
authors.forename: Franca
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6409-921X
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Holinski
authors.affiliation: Centre for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Department of General, Visceral, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgery, Charité, University Medicine Berlin, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Menenakos
authors.affiliation: Centre for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Department of General, Visceral, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgery, Charité, University Medicine Berlin, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haber
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head, and Neck Surgery, Charité, University Medicine Berlin, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olze
authors.affiliation: Centre for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Department of General, Visceral, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgery, Charité, University Medicine Berlin, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ordemann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D013652:Taste Threshold; D015431:Weight Loss
keywords: Bariatric surgery; Bypass surgery; Gastric banding; Gustatory function; Obesity surgery; Olfactory function; Sleeve gastrectomy; Taste strip test; Threshold-discrimination-identification test