Evaluating the Compliance, Efficacy, and Cost of Formulated Vitamins Versus Separate Supplements in Post-bariatric Surgery Patients

Objective Micronutrient deficiencies are common complications after bariatric surgery as alterations to the gastrointestinal tract change absorption. Patients are recommended to take supplements including multivitamins, B complex, calcium, vitamin D, and iron after bariatric surgery, and can take these as specifically formulated vitamins for post-bariatric patients or separate vitamin supplements. We investigated the compliance, efficacy, and cost of specifically formulated vitamins for post-bariatric patients in comparison to separate vitamin supplements. Methods We surveyed 126 post-bariatric adult patients between February 1, 2022, and August 31, 2022, who had undergone bariatric surgery between 2014 and 2021 to assess the type of supplements taken, compliance, and cost. Demographics, type of bariatric surgery, and serum micronutrient levels were evaluated for all patients. Results There were 51 patients taking formulated vitamins and 75 patients taking separate vitamins. The formulated vitamin group demonstrated greater adherence to optimal vitamin dosage (formulated vitamin group, 76.5% vs. separate supplement group, 30.7%; p < 0.001) and higher compliance (formulated vitamin group, 90.2% vs. separate supplement group, 66.7%; p = 0.002). The costs associated with both groups were comparable. No significant difference was observed in the incidence of micronutrient deficiency between the groups. Conclusions Our study shows that formulated vitamins do not offer significant difference in micronutrient levels or cost compared to separate standard vitamin supplements. However, formulated bariatric vitamins have improved compliance compared to separate vitamin supplements. Graphical Abstract