Weight reduction among females undergoing laparoscopic ventral hernia repair: The role of Calcium and Vitamin D3.

Objective: To evaluate the role of Vitamin-D and calcium supplementation on preoperative weight reduction in obese women before laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.
Methods: This double-blind clinical trial was conducted at the affiliated health centers of King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia from January 2021 to December 2021. It included forty-five obese women aged 24-56 years, with body mass index (BMI) of 34.0-48.0kg/m ² . They were randomly allocated into two groups; the Group-A (N=22) included obese women who received supplementation of 5000IU cholecalciferol (Vitamin-D ₃ ), and 1000mg calcium daily for 12 months, while the Group-B (N=23) received no treatment. Measurement of change in weight and BMI and comparison of their pre-operative weight reduction, laparoscopic operative time, and length of hospital stay was done.
Results: There were no differences in patients' biographic data between the two groups. During the study, Vitamin-D level in the patients increased and there was a significant positive association with weight loss. In group-A, the mean weight loss was 11.8±3.5 kg. At the end of first year, their BMI decreased from 36.1±1.6kg/m ² at baseline to 29.7±2.6 kg/m ² , whereas in-group-B, the mean weight loss was 6.8±3.1 kg and their BMI decreased from 36.9±2.69kg/m ² at baseline to 32.7±0.93kg/m ² . The operation time and the length of hospital stay were shorter in group-A (107 vs.128.min) and (3 vs. 5 days) respectively as compared to Group-B.
Conclusion: Vitamin-D and calcium supplementation contributes to a remarkable weight reduction of preoperative obese female patients, which in turn is associated with significantly better outcome of laparoscopic repair of ventral hernia.
(Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.)