Very low energy diets prior to bariatric surgery may reduce postoperative morbidity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

PurposeTo 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.MethodsMEDLINE, 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.ResultsAfter 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, p = 0.004, I2 = 95%). According to low certainty evidence, there was a non-significant reduction in 30-day postoperative morbidity in patients receiving VLED prior to bariatric surgery (risk ratio (RR) 0.67, 95%CI 0.39–1.17, p = 0.16, I2 = 0%).ConclusionThe 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

Sex-Specific Differences in Heart Failure:Pathophysiology, Risk Factors, Management, and Outcomes

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalisation, morbidity, and mortality in Canada. There are sex-specific differences in the etiology, epidemiology, comorbidities, treatment response, and treatment adverse effects that have implications on outcomes in HF. Sex-specific analyses of some HF trials indicate that optimal doses of drug therapies and benefit of device therapies may differ between male and female patients, but the trials were not designed to test sex differences. The under-representation of female participants in HF randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is a major limitation in assessing the sex-specific efficacy and safety of treatments. To ensure that female patients receive safe and effective HF therapies, RCTs should include participants proportionate to the sex-specific distribution of disease. This review outlines the sex-specific differences in HF phenotype and treatment response, and highlights disparities in services and gaps in knowledge that merit further investigation

The Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Objectives To systematically review and meta-analyze the impact of bariatric surgery on obese patients with urinary incontinence (UI). Methods A search of Medline, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and PubMed to June 2018 was performed using methods pre-published on PROSPERO. Reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis guidelines. Studies comparing UI status in obese patients before and after bariatric surgery were included. Primary outcomes were the improvement or complete resolution of any UI, stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). Secondary outcomes were validated UI questionnaire scores. The GRADE approach assessed overall quality of evidence. Results 33 cohort studies (2,910 patients) were included (median follow-up 12 months). Bariatric surgery resulted in improvement or resolution of any UI in 56% (95% confidence interval [CI] 48?63%), SUI in 47% (95% CI 34?60%), and UUI in 53% (95% CI 32?73%) of patients. Moreover, bariatric surgery significantly decreased (PPeer reviewe