| Problem: Obesity has become increasingly prevalent in today's society. Bariatric surgery is considered to be a definitive treatment for the problem of obesity. Bariatric surgery leads to weight loss and reduction in comorbities, but also leads to nutritional deficiciences. It is not presently clear to what extent and how severe these deficiencies are after different bariatric procedures. Methods: Clinical trials within the last ten years, which looked at the relationship between bariatric surgery and acquired nutritional deficiencies, were identified using a PubMed search through the Weill Cornell Medical College Library. Results: Results of the literature search showed that all bariatric surgeries lead to sonic nutritional and metabolic sequelae. The most common deficiencies include iron, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D and macronutrient deficiencies can include protein malnutrition and fat malabsorption. Conclusion: With the increasing use of bariatric surgery for the treatment of obesity, multiple long-term studies are needed to determine the nutritional and metabolic changes due to different bariatric surgeries in order to manage these patients properly. The purpose of this literature review is to summarize the published data regarding which bariatric surgeries are being performed today and what nutritional deficiencies are associated with these procedures. Future studies will be required to better understand specific differences between individual bariatric procedures, particularly the current gold standard roux-en-y gastric bypass and the increasingly more common sleeve gastrectomy. |
