Sandra Jumbe
Doctor
Title: Post-surgical cliff after bariatric surgery: accounts of patients and their health care professionals
Biography
Biography: Sandra Jumbe
Abstract
Statement of the problem: The superiority of bariatric surgery for improving medical outcomes in severely obese individuals when compared to other weight loss interventions remains undisputed. However, knowledge about the psychological impact of the procedure on people’s lives is limited. Recent systematic reviews have shown persisting disordered psychosocial wellbeing after surgery when compared to control groups, especially after long-term monitoring, suggesting need for psychological support and longer term postoperative research on psychological outcomes. Research literature infers limited understanding regarding the postoperative lived experience from the patient perspective. This may form a barrier in health professionals’ understanding of this patient group’s postoperative ongoing needs. This study aimed to capture patients and health professionals’ accounts of the postoperative bariatric surgery experience, exploring concordance between the two groups to gauge awareness of patients’ subsequent health needs