Carbohydrate Loading and Aspiration Risk in Bariatric Patients: Safety in Preoperative Enhanced Recovery Protocols

Enhanced recovery protocols have been developed to improve perioperative outcomes; however, there is ongoing concern for aspiration with recent oral intake in patients with obesity, who may be predisposed to impaired gastrointestinal motility and greater gastric volumes. We aim to study the safety of a 300-mL preoperative carbohydrate-loading drink preceding bariatric surgery.

Data were collected prospectively from patients undergoing primary bariatric surgery. All bariatric patients at our institution are prescribed a proton pump inhibitor for 4 weeks before surgery and undergo a screening preoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) before surgery with a traditional 8-hour fast (NOCARB), followed by an intraoperative day-of-operation EGD with carbohydrate loading (CARB) 2 to 4 hours before incision. Gastric volumes and pH are measured after being endoscopically suctioned via direct visualization during both settings.

We identified 203 patients: 94 patients (46.3%) in the CARB group and 109 patients (53.7%) in the NOCARB group. The patients were 82.3% female with a mean age of 42.8 years and average BMI of 41.7 kg/m 2 . There was no difference in gastric volume between NOCARB and CARB (17.0 vs 16.1 mL, p = 0.59). The NOCARB group had lower pH values than the CARB group (2.8 vs 3.8, p = 0.001). Subset analysis of 23 patients who had measurements on both screening and intraoperative EGD revealed lower gastric volumes in CARB patients (13.3 vs 18.3, p < 0.0001).

When included in an enhanced recovery protocol, proton pump inhibitor use and preoperative carbohydrate loading 2 to 4 hours before bariatric surgery does not increase aspiration risk based on gastric volumes and pH and should be strongly considered in all eligible bariatric patients.