Should you lose weight before surgery?

Modest weight loss may not provide enough health benefits, a study has revealed.

Photograph: Ron Mahon on Picasa/Wikimedia Commons

For obese and overweight patients, it is common for various surgical procedures to be deferred until they have lost weight through diet and exercise.

A study, conducted at the University of Leicester and published in the British Journal of Surgery stated that preoperative weight loss interventions were not associated with reductions in morbidity or mortality during and after surgery.

The findings suggested that modest weight loss may not provide enough health benefits to reduce risks during and after surgery in patients with clinically significant obesity.

"Our work highlights the importance of breaking the stigma associated with obese patients in healthcare. Lifestyle changes leading to weight loss have not shown a benefit in reducing the postoperative outcomes in these patients," said lead author Marius Roman.

"We would like to thank the British Heart Foundation for supporting this work," she added.

 Lead image published only for representational purposes.