Eating disorders after bariatric surgery: a case series

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Gastroenterology
• Bariatric Surgery Outcomes

Background:

• Post-bariatric surgery (BS) patients frequently exhibit eating disorder (ED) symptoms.
• These symptoms are often sub-syndromal and underreported, necessitating specialized treatment.
• Understanding these post-surgical ED syndromes is crucial for effective patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the spectrum of eating disorder (ED) syndromes that develop subsequent to bariatric surgery (BS).
• To characterize the presentation and diagnostic criteria met by patients hospitalized with post-BS EDs.
• To identify features distinguishing these EDs from classical presentations.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of clinical charts from 12 individuals hospitalized on a specialized inpatient ED unit.
• Assessment of patients based on proposed DSM-5 criteria for eating disorders.

Main Results:

• Six patients met criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN), including binge/purge and restrictive subtypes.
• Four patients met criteria for atypical AN due to normal weight.
• Two patients met criteria for bulimia nervosa.

Conclusions:

• Post-bariatric surgery EDs share similarities with classical EDs.
• Key distinguishing features include patient age and age of ED onset.
• Specialized inpatient ED units can manage these complex cases.