Nutritional Deficiency Following Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

SUMMARY Given the increasing prevalence of obesity and its comor¬bidities, a growing number of individuals with obesity will undergo bariatric surgery in the future. Moreover, bariatric surgery is gaining popularity for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, because most individuals show improved disease control after bariatric surgery. As a result, clinicians must increase their understanding of the presentation and treatment of macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies that can arise after bariatric surgery. Recognition of these postoperative disorders will remain an ongoing educational process. Given its association with high rates of postoperative complications, diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency and appropriate pre¬operative and postoperative vitamin D supplementation are major areas requiring further clinical investigation. Clinicians who treat patients after bariatric surgery need to have standardized approaches to micronutrient supplementation and postoperative evaluation. Further studies are needed to examine the question of whether standardized measurements of micronutrient blood levels are adequate determinants of clinically relevant nutritional deficiencies.