SynthesisFrontiers in nutrition2023
Very low energy diets prior to bariatric surgery may reduce postoperative morbidity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in nutrition, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Preoperative low-energy diets for patients with a body mass index >30 kg/m2 undergoing non-bariatric surgery: pilot feasibility randomized clinical trial and a systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy data.The British journal of surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Pooled it
- A Phase-Based, Multidisciplinary Enhanced Recovery Pathway for Bariatric Procedures: The EUropean PErioperative MEdical Networking (EUPEMEN) Collaborative for Obesity Surgery.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Implementation of Preoperative Very Low-Calorie Diets in Preparation for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.Journal of nutrition and metabolism · 2026Review
- Letter to the Editor Regarding: "Optimizing Bariatric Surgery Outcomes: The Dual Benefits of Preoperative Very‑Low‑Calorie Diets".Obesity surgery · 2025Article
- Preoperative weight loss by noninvasive approach in patients with obesity scheduled for bariatric and metabolic surgery: an update narrative review of indications and results available until 2024.Updates in surgery · 2025Review
- Evaluating Weight Loss Associated with Bariatric Surgery After Liraglutide Use: A Matched Population-Level Retrospective Cohort Study.Obesity surgery · 2025Article
- Article
- Prescribing preoperative weight loss prior to major non-bariatric surgery for patients with elevated weight: a national provider survey (PREPARE provider survey).Frontiers in surgery · 2025Article
- Preoperative very low-energy diets for obese patients undergoing intra-abdominal colorectal surgery: a retrospective cohort study (RetroPREPARE).Techniques in coloproctology · 2024Article
- PReoperative very low-Energy diets for obese PAtients undergoing non-bariatric surgery Randomized Evaluation (PREPARE): a protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: To optimize patients prior to bariatric surgery, very low energy diets (VLEDs) are often employed for 2-4 weeks preoperatively. They are known to result in preoperative weight loss, decrease liver volume, and decrease surgeon-perceived operative difficulty. Their impact on postoperative morbidity has been less extensively studied. We performed a focused systematic review and meta-analysis with the aim of comparing preoperative VLEDs prior to bariatric surgery with controls in terms of overall postoperative morbidity. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched from database inception to February 2023. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing postoperative morbidity in adult patients (i.e., over the age of 18) receiving a VLED with liquid formulation to those receiving a non-VLED control prior to elective bariatric surgery. Outcomes included overall 30-day postoperative morbidity and preoperative weight loss. An inverse variance meta-analysis was performed with GRADE assessment of the quality of evidence. Results: After reviewing 2,525 citations, four RCTs with 294 patients receiving preoperative VLEDs with liquid formulation and 294 patients receiving a non-VLED control met inclusion. Patients receiving VLED experienced significantly more preoperative weight loss than patients receiving control (mean difference (MD) 3.38 kg, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-5.70, Conclusion: The impact of preoperative VLEDs on postoperative outcomes following bariatric surgery remains unclear. It is possible that VLEDs may contribute to decreased postoperative morbidity, but further larger prospective trials are required to investigate the signal identified in this study.
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