Body Composition Changes Following a Very-Low-Calorie Pre-Operative Diet in Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

Background: Fatty liver in obese patients increases the technical difficulty of bariatric surgery. Pre-operative weight loss with a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) is commonly used to facilitate surgery. Few studies have quantified the systemic effect of rapid pre-operative weight loss on body composition. The objective of this study is to evaluate body composition changes in bariatric surgery patients undergoing a VLCD. Methods: Body composition assessments were performed between August 2017 and January 2019 using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry immediately before and after a 2-week VLCD at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. Data collected prospectively pre- and post-VLCD included total body we..