Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34463422›Full record

SynthesisClinical obesity2021

Effect of weight-loss diets prior to elective surgery on postoperative outcomes in obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Natalie Pavlovic, Robert A Boland, Bernadette Brady, Furkan Genel, Ian A Harris, Victoria M Flood, Justine M Naylor

Open access · hybridAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Clinical obesity, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Guideline
  4. Pooled it
  5. Trial
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Risk factors for poor functional outcomes at one year in biportal endoscopic spine surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Natalie PavlovicSouth Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0086-7379
Robert A BolandFairfield Hospital, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Bernadette BradyDiscipline of Physiotherapy, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Furkan GenelSt George and Sutherland Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Ian A HarrisSouth Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Victoria M FloodSydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Justine M NaylorSouth Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The University of Sydney · AUFairfield Hospital · AULiverpool Hospital · AUSutherland Hospital · AUUNSW Sydney · AU

Funding

Australian and New Zealand Musculoskeletal (ANZMUSC) Clinical Trials Network and Medibank Better Health Foundation (MBHF)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This systematic review investigated the effects of weight-loss diets before elective surgery on preoperative weight loss and postoperative outcomes in people with obesity. Electronic databases were searched from inception to May 2021. Inclusion criteria were prospective cohort or randomised controlled studies that compared effects of weight-loss diets to standard care on postoperative outcomes in adults with obesity awaiting surgery. Participants with cancer or undergoing bariatric surgery were excluded. Data on preoperative weight change, length of stay, postoperative complications and patient-reported outcome measures were extracted and synthesised in meta-analyses. One randomised controlled trial involving total knee arthroplasty and two that investigated general surgery were eligible that included 173 participants overall. Each study compared low-calorie diets using meal replacement formulas to usual care. There is very-low-quality evidence of a statistically significant difference favouring the intervention for preoperative weight loss (mean difference [MD] -6.67 kg, 95% confidence interval [CI] -12.09 to -1.26 kg; p = 0.02) and low-quality evidence that preoperative weight-loss diets do not reduce postoperative complications to 30 days (odds ratio [OR] 0.34, 95% CI 0.08-1.42; p = 0.14) or length of stay (MD -3.72 h, 95% CI -10.76 to 3.32; p = 0.30). From the limited data that is of low quality, weight loss diets before elective surgery do not reduce postoperative complications.

Indexed as

Diet, ReducingElective Surgical ProceduresAdultHumansObesityPostoperative ComplicationsProspective Studiesobesitypostoperative complicationsurgeryweight-loss diet

Identifiers

PMID34463422
PMCPMC9286439
OpenAlexW3198121312

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.