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Collaborative and Integrated Care

Session:: BRIEF ORAL PAPERS: Outpatient Consultation

Understanding Bariatric Patients’ Experiences of Self-management Post-surgery: A Qualitative Study

Friday, November 12, 2021
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM US Eastern Time
Background: Although most bariatric patients achieve significant weight loss and improvements in both physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the short-term, there is a wide variability in weight and long-term HRQoL outcomes. The role of bariatric patients’ self-management style in explaining variability in long-term outcomes is unclear.

Objective: This qualitative study examined bariatric patients’ self-management experiences after bariatric surgery in relation to long-term outcomes.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured individual interviews with post-operative bariatric patients (n=23) at a Canadian Bariatric Surgery Program. A constant comparative approach was used to systematically analyze the data and identify the overarching themes. Variation in patients’ experiences and follow-up time were the two primary units of analysis

Results: Patients were predominantly female (n=19; 82.6%) and had a mean age of (50±8.49) years. The median time post-surgery was 2 years (range: 6 months – 7 years). Three distinct phases described the process for bariatric patients to develop their self-management capacity post-surgery: 1) rediscovering self-esteem and confidence in one’s ability to self-manage (1-month to 2-years post-surgery), 2) achieving weight maintenance and addressing emotional dysregulation (1.5-3-years post-surgery); and 3) embracing a flexible balanced lifestyle (beyond 3-years).

Conclusion: Bariatric patients’ experience distinct challenges relative to their surgery time course. Facilitating access to interprofessional bariatric care post-surgery allowed patients to acquire the self-management knowledge and skills to address challenges to following the bariatric guidelines in the long-term.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand long-term mental health sequela after bariatric surgery
  • Recognize barrier to long-term obesity self-management from the patients' perspective
  • Understand how psychological deterioration in mental health related quality of life is linked to weight regain after bariatric surgery