Unsolved issues related to multivitamin and multimineral support for patients following bariatric surgery

Abstract

In the review article the authors discuss unsolved issues regarding vitamin and mineral support of patients undergoing bariatric/metabolic operations. Many patients refer for the surgery already having deficiencies of macro- and micronutrients and need preoperative preparation for improving of vitamin-mineral status. Vitamin-mineral support is indicated after each bariatric operation, however the volume of nutritive support and the choice and doses of vitamins and minerals can be varied depending on type of surgery. Hypoabsorptive procedures such as duodenal switch or SADI-S (Single anastomosis duodenoileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy) usually demand more significant protein, calcium and iron supplementations together with administration of multivitamin complexes containing fat-soluble vitamins. Existing standard vitamin-mineral complexes may not contain necessary doses of iron, calcium, fat-soluble and other vitamins as well as some microelements like cooper, zink, selenium etc. Thus, sufficient vitamin-mineral support may need up to 10 tablets or pills daily depending on kind of surgery. That can influence on patients compliance, lead to refusal of supplementations and thus to undesirable metabolic consequences after surgery. The authors have concluded about necessity of working out of cost-effective domestic series of vitamin-mineral combinations with high bio-availability specially adapted to every class of bariatric/metabolic operation. To authors opinion this can lead to better patients compliance and can prevent undesirable side effects after metabolic surgery.