EP803 - Prevalence of Vitamin C Deficiency in Elective Colorectal Surgery Patients

Monday, May 11, 2026

10:36 AM - 10:41 AM ET

ePoster Presenter(s)

Eli Mlaver, MD MSc

Resident
Emory University
Emory University
Atlanta, GA, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.

Author(s)

LG

Luke Galloway, MD

Resident
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
MG

Mishal Gillani, MD

Resident
Emory University School of Medicine
Johns Creek, Georgia, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
Virginia O. Shaffer, MD

Professor, Chief of Colorectal Surgery
University of Chicago
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL, United States

All of the relevant financial relationships listed below have been mitigated.
This individual has no relevant relationships with ineligible companies.

Senior Author(s)

CD

Courtney Devin, MD, MS

Assistant Professor, Colorectal Surgery
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.

All of the relevant financial relationships listed below have been mitigated.

Virginia O. Shaffer, MD: This individual has no relevant relationships with ineligible companies.

Purpose/Background: Patients undergoing colorectal surgery may be at increased risk for vitamin C deficiency due to preoperative factors such as the indications for surgery which may include cancer or inflammatory bowel diseases and postoperative factors such increased oxidative stress, reduced intake, and impaired intestinal absorption. Vitamin C deficiency may contribute to poor wound healing and increased complications such as surgical site infection and anastomotic leak.

Current guidelines from the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons recommend preoperative oral nutritional supplementation in malnourished patients, but do not specifically address micronutrient optimization. Vitamin C supplementation improves anastomotic healing and collagen deposition in malnourished animal models, but robust clinical evidence in humans is lacking. This study explores the prevalence of VitC deficiency in patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

Methods/Interventions: This was a prospective observational study of laboratory data from adult patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. We collected vitamin C levels between 24 and 72 hours after surgery. Vitamin C of < 23 μmol/L was considered low and < 11 μmol/L was considered deficient. Descriptive statistics are presented here with no assertions of statistical significance.

Results/Outcomes: Fifty-one patients were included between 06/2023 and 05/2025. The study population was on average 56.8 (SD 16.7) years old. Operations included right (20) and left/sigmoid (20) hemicolectomies, total abdominal colectomies (6), abdominoperineal resections (2), and ostomy reversals (3). Forty-three (84.3%) were performed minimally invasively. Indications for surgery included cancer (27), diverticulitis (13), and Crohn’s disease (7). We found that 7 (13.7%) patients had vitamin C deficiency and 17 more (24 total, 47.0%) patients had low vitamin C.

Conclusion/Discussion: The prevalence of low and deficient levels of vitamin C suggests the elective colorectal surgery population may benefit from perioperative vitamin C supplementation. Future research will focus on the impact of preoperative vitamin supplementation on surgical outcomes such as anastomotic leak and surgical site infection rates.