A study published in the British Journal of Surgery examined whether preoperative weight loss results in improved outcomes among surgical patients with obesity.
Researchers searched PubMed, Medline, Embase and Cinahl Plus databases from inception until February 2018 for studies assessing the effect of weight loss interventions on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing any surgical procedure. They gathered data on 30‐day or all‐cause in‐hospital mortality and conducted meta‐analyses. In all, they studied outcomes for 6,060 patients in four randomized clinical trials and 12 cohort studies from European and North American centers.
Researchers found preoperative weight loss programs were effective and led to significant weight loss as compared to controls. However, preoperative weight loss interventions were not associated with a reduction in perioperative mortality. The weight loss groups did have shorter hospital stays — 27 percent shorter than controls.