Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Dizziness, Imbalance, and Associated Factors Following Bariatric Surgery

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Bariatric surgery has emerged as an effective intervention for severe obesity; however, post-operative dizziness remains poorly characterized in the literature. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dizziness, imbalance, and hearing problems following bariatric surgery and to identify associated risk factors. <b>Methods</b>: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 156 patients who underwent bariatric surgery at multiple centers in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through structured questionnaires assessing demographic characteristics, surgical details, and post-operative vestibular symptoms. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of dizziness. <b>Results</b>: The prevalence of post-operative dizziness was 77.3% (95% CI: 70.0-83.3%), imbalance was 38.0% (95% CI: 30.6-46.0%), and hearing problems were 10.7% (95% CI: 6.7-16.6%). Bivariate logistic regression identified weight loss was significantly associated with dizziness (OR = 1.063, 95% CI: 1.024-1.103, <i>p</i> = 0.001). In the multivariate model, each percentage point increase in weight loss was associated with a 6.1% increased dizziness (adjusted OR = 1.061, 95% CI: 1.017-1.107, <i>p</i> = 0.006). Dizziness was strongly associated with imbalance (chi-square = 14.325, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and falls (chi-square = 7.085, <i>p</i> = 0.008). <b>Conclusions</b>: Vestibular complications, particularly dizziness, are highly prevalent following bariatric surgery and demonstrate a significant dose-response relationship with the magnitude of weight loss. Enhanced awareness and systematic screening for dizziness in post-bariatric patients are warranted.