title: Preoperative nutritional status of patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity.
abstract: Few data exist concerning preoperative nutritional status in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. We retrospectively analyzed the preoperative values of serum albumin, calcium, 25-OH vitamin D, iron, ferritin, hemoglobin, vitamin B12, and thiamine in 379 consecutive patients (320 women and 59 men; mean body mass index 51.8 +/- 10.6 kg/m2; 25.8% white, 28.4% African American, 45.8% Hispanic) undergoing bariatric surgery between 2002 and 2004. Preoperative deficiencies were noted for iron (43.9%), ferritin (8.4%), hemoglobin (22%; women 19.1%, men 40.7%), thiamine (29%), and 25-OH vitamin D (68.1%). Low ferritin levels were more prevalent in females (9.9% vs. 0%; P = 0.01); however, anemia was more prevalent in males (19.1% vs. 40.7%; P < 0.005). Patients younger than 25 years were more likely to be anemic than patients over 60 years (46% vs. 15%; P < 0.005). This correlated with iron deficiency, which was more prevalent in younger patients (79.2% vs. 41.7%; P < 0.005). Whites (78.8%) and African Americans (70.4%) had a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency than Hispanics (56.4%), P = 0.01. Whites were the least likely group to be thiamine deficient (6.8% vs 31.0% African Americans and 47.2% Hispanics; P < 0.005). Nutritional deficiencies are common in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and these deficiencies should be detected and corrected early to avoid postoperative complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY 11542, USA. lflancba@nshs.edu
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Flancbaum
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belsley
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Drake
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Colarusso
authors.forename: Ezekiel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tayler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis; D001361:Avitaminosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D002118:Calcium / Q000172:deficiency; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000172:deficiency; D015390:Gastric Bypass; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000172:deficiency; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D014815:Vitamins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014815:Vitamins; D005293:Ferritins; D002118:Calcium