Bariatric surgery: patient incision care and discharge concerns

Because it provides greater and more durable weight reduction than behavioral and pharmacological interventions for the morbidly obese, the number of bariatric surgeries is increasing - one such procedure is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine incision care knowledge and discharge concerns of patients who had undergone this type of gastric bypass bariatric surgery. Participants (N = 31; 28 women, three men; mean age 45 years), recruited from a bariatric surgery center in a large, urban teaching hospital, had undergone a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass by either the open (n = 29) or laparoscopic (n = 2) method. Patients scheduled to be discharged home, 21 years of age or older, and able to understand and respond in English were eligible to participate. Participants completed questionnaires that included demographic information and rating scales regarding incision care knowledge, fears, and discharge concerns. Mean time from hospital admission to study participation was 1.1 days (SD = 3 days). Knowledge of incision care and amount of information received about incision care were rated low. The five most frequently mentioned postdischarge concerns included bowel trouble at home, wound pain at home, looking for wound complications, watching for wound infection, and activity limitations. The higher the amount of information received about incision care, the higher the patient's knowledge (r = .57, P <.001). Lower incision care knowledge scores were correlated with a higher fear of incision care (r = .46, P = .008) and patients reporting greater pain had more concerns about discharge (r = .49, P <.005). Little is known about preparing the bariatric surgery patient for discharge home. To improve outcomes, research that examines issues including discharge teaching methods, patient concerns, and information for persons undergoing bariatric surgery is needed.