Commercial Very Low Energy Meal Replacements for Preoperative Weight Loss in Obese Patients: a Systematic Review.

Background: This systematic review assessed feasibility and effectiveness of preoperative meal replacements to improve surgical outcomes for obese patients.

Methods: PRISMA guidelines were followed and electronic databases searched for articles between January 1990 and March 2015.

Results: Fifteen studies (942 participants including 351 controls) were included, 13 studies (n = 750) in bariatric patients.

Does preoperative oral carbohydrate reduce hospital stay? A randomized trial.

Oral carbohydrate-rich fluids are used preoperatively to improve postoperative recovery, but their effectiveness for reducing length of hospital stay is uncertain. We assessed the effectiveness of preoperative loading with carbohydrates on the postoperative outcomes of 44 patients scheduled for elective colorectal surgery who were randomly allocated to a carbohydrate-rich fluid group or a usual care group during their preadmission clinic visit. Our primary outcome was the time patients required to be ready for discharge.