Is the Current Micronutrient Supplementation Adequate in Preventing Deficiencies in Indian Patients? Short- and Mid-Term Comparison of Sleeve Gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

PURPOSE: Bariatric procedures reduce the capacity of the gut and alter the gastrointestinal transit time predisposing to micro-nutritional deficiencies. This study analyzed and compared the micro-nutritional parameters following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in the Indian population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent LSG or RYGB for morbid obesity at a tertiary care center between January 2015 and December 2016. The micronutrient parameters, namely, serum ferritin, vitamin B12, ionized calcium, vitamin D3, and parathormone (PTH) in the preoperative settings and subsequently at 1, 2, and 3 years were analyzed.

RESULTS: A total of 390 patients were studied, of which 258 (66.15%) underwent LSG while 132 (33.85%) underwent RYGB. Baseline micronutrient parameters were comparable in the two groups. Anemia (58.1% vs. 59.1%), deficiencies of ferritin (31.7% vs. 34.3%), vitamin B12 (18.8% vs. 36.4%), ionized calcium (65.1% vs. 72.7%), vitamin D3 (95.3% vs. 90.9%), and secondary hyperparathyroidism (45.5% vs. 58.1%) were seen following LSG and RYGB at the end of 3 years, respectively. There was no significant difference found between LSG and RYGB in terms of micronutrient deficiencies studied, including rising in PTH at 1, 2, and 3 years. Vitamin D3 levels were significantly lower at 2 and 3 years following RYGB (p = 0.035 and p = 0.032, respectively).

CONCLUSION: LSG and RYGB have comparable micronutrient deficiencies in the short- and mid-term except for vitamin D3, which is higher following RYGB. Long-term studies are needed to define optimum micronutrient supplement dosages for the Indian population.