Background: Meralgia paresthetica (MP) is a benign clinical syndrome of entrapment of the lateral cutaneous nerve in the thigh. Among the complications of bariatric surgery, neurologic complications are not uncommon and of these complications, MP is a frequent clinical diagnosis. Thus, knowing the clinical risk factors of MP is of great importance as they help with the differential diagnoses of MP from other serious disorders.

Objectives: To study the prevalence of MP and its clinical risk factors after bariatric surgery in a sample of Iranian morbid obese patients undergoing surgery for obesity.

Patients and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 163 patients (146 females and 17 males), who underwent bariatric surgery, were called one to 48 months after their surgery. After obtaining their consent, the patients were interviewed and completed a questionnaire containing history and presentation of neuropathy for this study. In addition, some of the variables of the questionnaire were filled using the patient’s medical records.

Results: One month after surgery, 32 patients (19.5%) had neurologic signs or symptoms of MP located in their lateral thigh. Diagnosis of MP was made in 21 (17 women and four men) patients (12.8% of all patients), sub-acute polyneuropathy in seven patients (4.3%), and acute polyneuropathy in the remaining four patients (2.4%). No specific treatment was given to the patients with MP. Symptoms of MP were resolved within six months in 15 patients (71.4%). In a univariate analysis of MP, only a history of a neuropathy was significantly correlated with the occurrance of MP after surgery (P = 0.004) with an odds ratio of 4.2 (95% confidence interval: 1.4-12.2).

Conclusions: MP is not a common complication after bariatric laparoscopic surgery, however, a history of neuropathy and diabetes should be mentioned to surgeons as risk factors for MP. Additionally, using a belt for fixation could be a an etiologic factor for MP after bariatric surgery.