P-BN03 A systematic review of pre-operative low-calorie diets for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Abstract

Abstract Background Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the fourth most common procedure in the UK. Increased liver adiposity, commonly encountered in obesity, anecdotally may increase technical difficulty and surgical risk. Pre-operative low-calorie diets are well-established in bariatric surgery to reduce liver bulk, thereby ameliorating difficulty and risk. Similar diets are often used before laparoscopic cholecystectomy, however, the supporting evidence base is unclear; we performed the first systematic review on their use in this context. Methods PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched in February 2021. We included English language clinical studies describing pre-operative low-calorie diet for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Data were extracted for specifics of / adherence to diet, weight change, operative time / difficulty, complications and length of stay. Study quality was qualified using Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network criteria and Jadad score. Results One randomised controlled trial (RCT) and one prospective observational study were identified. Both utilised a pre-operative very low-calorie diet of < 800 kcal/day. Overall weight loss was greater in patients deemed compliant with the intervention. Both demonstrated tendency towards reduced operative difficulty with the intervention. Only the RCT found improvement in operative time. Conclusions Pre-operative very low-calorie diets (< 800 kcal/day for two weeks) may aid weight loss and reduce operative difficulty in laparoscopic cholecystectomy, although evidence supporting their continued use is limited. Further RCTs are warranted to fully evaluate their role in clinical and cost-effectiveness.