A screening tool to assess and manage behavioral risk in the postoperative bariatric surgery patient: The WATCH

Area of Science:

• Bariatric Surgery
• Obesity Medicine
• Behavioral Health

Background:

• Bariatric surgery is a highly effective treatment for severe obesity, surpassing nonsurgical methods in weight loss and comorbidity resolution.
• However, suboptimal weight loss and weight regain are common post-surgery, often linked to insufficient long-term behavioral or cognitive changes.
• Currently, no established clinical tools exist to assess these critical postoperative behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce The WATCH, a novel screening tool designed for clinicians.
• To aid in assessing and identifying bariatric surgery patients at risk for poor outcomes.
• To facilitate timely intervention for patients exhibiting problematic postoperative behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on bariatric surgery outcomes, including weight loss, comorbidity resolution, and eating behaviors.
• Development and presentation of The WATCH, a concise, five-item screening tool.
• Discussion of patient responses indicative of potential need for further intervention.

Main Results:

• Suboptimal weight loss and weight regain are significant concerns following bariatric surgery.
• Failure to adopt long-term behavioral and cognitive changes is a likely contributor to these suboptimal outcomes.
• The WATCH tool provides a structured approach to identify at-risk patients.

Conclusions:

• The WATCH tool offers a practical method for clinicians to assess postoperative bariatric surgery patients.
• Early identification of at-risk individuals can lead to targeted interventions, improving long-term success.
• This screening tool aims to enhance patient care and outcomes in bariatric surgery.