File
T. Leppäkorpi1, K. Nurme1, K. Kauranen1
1LAB University of Applied Sciences, Health Care and Social Services, Lappeenranta, Finland
Background: Obesity is a growing problem in developed countries. Bariatric surgery has been discovered to be an effective method for weight loss when common weight loss methods have not been working. Indications for bariatric surgery are a body mass index (BMI) above 40 or BMI above 35 and in addition some obesity comorbidities. The final outcome of the bariatric surgery and its permanence depends on how motivated the surgery patient is to adhere a healthy lifestyle and guidance after the surgery. At the moment the postoperative instructions for the healthy lifestyle and rehabilitation are insufficient and they vary. This study was executed in cooperation with the national patient society of bariatric surgery (registered association Lile).
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine what kind of information patients require and receive after bariatric surgery and how the expertise of physical therapist could apply to this target group. In addition, based on the result of the inquiry a self-help guidebook was produced for bariatric surgery patients.
Methods: The questions and content of the guidebook were created based on previous literature. The questionnaire was operated by Webropol online survey and analysis tool. 80 members of the patient society responded to the survey, 77 of them met the inclusion criteria to get into the survey. 88 % of the respondents had gone through bariatric surgery during the last three years. 99 % of the respondents were women.
Results: According to the results of the survey most of the respondents (79 % of respondents) were satisfied with the nutrition information after bariatric surgery. However, the respondents felt they had received little information about body perception (78 %), how to start exercising after surgery (55 %) and the recommended intensity of exercises (54 %).
Conclusion(s): Postoperative instructions concerning physical exercise after bariatric surgery are mainly lacking and the information is focused on nutritional instructions. A physical therapist is the right specialist to guide, control and supervise individual physical exercise after bariatric surgery. In multi professional work group, a physical therapist can rectify the dearth of information concerning exercise physiology and physical training after bariatric surgery. Problems with body perception and mental difficulties were emphasized in the survey. The expertise of a physical therapist could be beneficial also in problems with body perception.
Implications: The results of this study could be utilized in the work of a physical therapist as well as work of multi professional groups to improve permanence of the treatment of bariatric surgery. Physical therapists could help bariatric surgery patients with an active lifestyle and exercise considering patients comorbidities and complications. In cooperation with the patient the physical therapist can plan an individualised training program for an effective and safe weight loss and weight control.
Funding, acknowledgements: The work was unfunded.
Keywords: bariatric surgery, self-care
Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: LAB University of Applied Sciences
Committee: Ethical Committee of LAB University of Applied Sciences, Lappeenranta, Finland
Ethics number: 277/12.01.01.00/2020
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
