Dataset Information

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on bariatric patients' self-management post-surgery.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had far reaching consequences on the health and well-being of the general public. Evidence from previous pandemics suggest that bariatric patients may experience increased emotional distress and difficulty adhering to healthy lifestyle changes post-surgery.

Objective

We aimed to examine the impact of the novel COVID-19 public health crisis on bariatric patients' self-management post-surgery.

Method

In a nested-qualitative study, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 23 post-operative bariatric patients who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) at a Canadian Bariatric Surgery Program between 2014 and 2020. A constant comparative approach was used to systematically analyze the data and identify the overarching themes.

Results

Participants (n = 23) had a mean age of (48.82 ± 10.03) years and most were female (n = 19). The median time post-surgery was 2 years (range: 6 months-7 years). Themes describing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patients' post-bariatric surgery self-management included: coping with COVID-19; vulnerability factors and physical isolation; resiliency factors during pandemic; and valuing access to support by virtual care. The need for patients to access post-operative bariatric care during COVID-19 differed based on gender and socioeconomic status.

Conclusion

This study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted patients' ability to self-manage obesity and their mental health in a variety of ways. These findings suggest that patients may experience unique psychological distress and challenges requiring personalized care strategies to improve obesity self-care and overall well-being.

SUBMITTER: Youssef A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7892317 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundThe process of reintroducing bariatric surgery to our communities in a COVID-19 environment was particular to each country. Furthermore, no clear recommendation was made for patients with a previous COVID-19 infection and a favorable outcome who were seeking bariatric surgery.ObjectivesTo analyze the risks of specific complications for patients with previous COVID-19 infection who were admitted for bariatric surgery.SettingEight high-volume private centers from 5 countries.MethodsAll patients with morbid obesity and previous COVID-19 infection admitted for bariatric surgery were included in the current study. Patients were enrolled from 8 centers and 5 countries, and their electronic health data were reviewed retrospectively. The primary outcome was to identify early (<30 d) specific complications related to COVID-19 infection following bariatric surgery, and the secondary outcome was to analyze additional factors from work-ups that could prevent complications.ResultsThirty-five patients with a mean age of 40 years (range, 21-68 yr) and a mean body mass index of 44.3 kg/m2 (±7.4 kg/m2) with previous COVID-19 infection underwent different bariatric procedures: 23 cases of sleeve (65.7 %), 7 cases of bypass, and 5 other cases. The symptomatology of the previous COVID-19 infection varied: 15 patients had no symptoms, 12 had fever and respiratory signs, 5 had only fever, 2 had digestive symptoms, and 1 had isolated respiratory signs. Only 5 patients (14.2 %) were hospitalized for COVID-19 infection, for a mean period of 8.8 days (range, 6-15 d). One patient was admitted to an intensive care unit and needed invasive mechanical ventilation. The mean interval time from COVID-19 infection to bariatric surgery was 11.3 weeks (3-34 wk). The mean hospital stay was 1.7 days (±1 d), and all patients were clinically evaluated 1 month following the bariatric procedure. There were 2 readmissions and 1 case of complication: that case was of a gastric leak treated with laparoscopic drainage and a repeated pigtail drain, with a favorable outcome. No cases of other specific complications or mortality were recorded.ConclusionMinor and moderate COVID-19 infections, especially the forms not complicated with invasive mechanical ventilation, should not preclude the indication for bariatric surgery. In our experience, a prior COVID-19 infection does not induce additional specific complications following bariatric surgery.