Zinc Deficiency After Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

AbstractBariatric surgery has become an effective method for treating severe obesity and its related complications. While the effectiveness and safety of BS have been widely confirmed, micronutrient deficiency has emerged as a long-term complication after surgery. Literature was collected through online searches of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase databases, as well as manual searches. A total of 15 studies, with a sample size of 2993 cases, were included. The studies found that the risk of zinc deficiency increased gradually at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery compared to pre-surgery levels. Subgroup analysis revealed that serum zinc levels decreased by 9.40% (95% CI − 16.44%, − 2.36%) at 1 year after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, 9.33% (95% CI − 10.73%, − 7.92%) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and one-anastomosis gastric bypass, and 22.30% (95% CI − 30.14%, − 14.46%) after biliopancreatic diversion/duodenal switch. Meanwhile, the total prevalence of zinc deficiency at 1 year after surgery was 26.1%. In conclusion, zinc deficiency worsens and serum zinc levels decrease after bariatric surgery. It is recommended that patients undergoing weight loss surgery undergo regular monitoring of serum zinc levels and receive timely zinc supplementation therapy.