Effect of weight‐loss diets prior to elective surgery on postoperative outcomes in obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

This systematic review investigated the effects of weight‐loss diets before elective surgery on preoperative weight loss and postoperative outcomes in people with obesity. Electronic databases were searched from inception to May 2021. Inclusion criteria were prospective cohort or randomised controlled studies that compared effects of weight‐loss diets to standard care on postoperative outcomes in adults with obesity awaiting surgery. Participants with cancer or undergoing bariatric surgery were excluded. Data on preoperative weight change, length of stay, postoperative complications and patient‐reported outcome measures were extracted and synthesised in meta‐analyses. One randomised controlled trial involving total knee arthroplasty and two that investigated general surgery were eligible that included 173 participants overall. Each study compared low‐calorie diets using meal replacement formulas to usual care. There is very‐low‐quality evidence of a statistically significant difference favouring the intervention for preoperative weight loss (mean difference [MD] −6.67 kg, 95% confidence interval [CI] −12.09 to −1.26 kg; p = 0.02) and low‐quality evidence that preoperative weight‐loss diets do not reduce postoperative complications to 30 days (odds ratio [OR] 0.34, 95% CI 0.08–1.42; p = 0.14) or length of stay (MD −3.72 h, 95% CI −10.76 to 3.32; p = 0.30). From the limited data that is of low quality, weight loss diets before elective surgery do not reduce postoperative complications.