Patient perspectives on post-bariatric surgery nutritional supplementation

Area of Science:

• Bariatric surgery outcomes
• Nutritional science
• Patient compliance studies

Background:

• Bariatric procedures increase risk of long-term metabolic complications from nutrient deficiencies.
• Routine vitamin and mineral supplementation is key for prevention.
• Patient-reported barriers to daily compliance are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient-reported barriers to daily vitamin and mineral supplementation compliance after bariatric surgery.
• To identify factors influencing adherence to supplementation regimens.
• To explore patient-reported strategies for improving compliance.

Main Methods:

• An 11-point outpatient survey was administered to post-bariatric surgery patients (laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy [SG] or gastric bypass [GB]).
• Patients ranged from 1 month to 15 years post-surgery.
• Descriptive statistics were used to analyze survey responses.

Main Results:

• 98% of patients reported insurance did not cover supplement costs.
• 95% reported current vitamin use, with 87% daily compliance.
• Forgetting (54%) was the primary reason for non-compliance, followed by side effects (11%) and taste (11%).

Conclusions:

• Daily compliance with vitamin supplementation post-bariatric surgery is not significantly affected by time period or surgical procedure.
• Forgetting, side effects, and taste are key barriers to compliance.
• Utilizing patient-reported reminder strategies may enhance compliance and reduce nutritional deficiencies.