Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess associations between weight loss achieved through bariatric surgery, alterations in morphological cranio–cervico–facial characteristics and respiratory quality among obese patients.

Methods: An observational group was made up of 17 male and female patients aged between 18 and 60 years with a BMI ≥ 40 kg/m ² who were scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery. All patients were evaluated before and after surgery by means of clinical, physical, anthropometric, facial, nasal, oral and oropharygeal exams as well as radiographic exams of the facial profile with individual cephalometric analysis. Patients also answered a questionnaire on nasal respiratory quality (NRQ). The control group was composed of 10 male and female volunteers with a BMI between 18 and 30 kg/m ² , good dental occlusion, harmonic facial relations and no history of respiratory or sleep disorders.

Results: Revealed a significant reduction in weight, BMI and cervical circumference as well as an improvement in NRQ in the observational group following bariatric surgery ( p < 0.05). There was a reduction in craniocervical length, increase in velopharyngeal air space and a reduction in the distance between the hyoid bone and mentum following weight loss. The Mallampati scale revealed a significant inversion in the categories of palate position between evaluations; the same did not occur with the palatine tonsils.

Conclusion: There was an improvement in respiratory quality and alterations in morphological cranio-cervico-facial characteristics caused by weight loss, especially aspects located in soft tissues, craniocervical length and position of the hyoid bone.

Conflict of interest: None declared.