Online survey on factors influencing patients' motivation to undergo bariatric surgery

Given the worldwide increasing prevalence of severe obesity and considering the amount of scientific evidence demonstrating the beneficial effects of bariatric surgery (BS), it is surprising that only a fraction of patients with obesity undergo BS. We therefore conducted an anonymized online survey among individuals with a history of BS to understand factors influencing the deciding process leading to BS. Respondents were recruited on a voluntary basis from obesity-related social media groups between April and June 2020. The self-designed, non-validated questionnaire consisted of 20 questions and was open to any participants with a history of BS. Of 851 participants who started the survey, 665 completed the questionnaire (completion rate of 78.1%). Five years after BS, still 70% of the survey-participants were very satisfied or satisfied with the surgical result. However, the majority (73.3%) would have undergone BS earlier. The main motivation to choose BS was related to health status or quality of life. Important characteristics for a bariatric surgeon to obtain patients' trust are "taking time and listen" (74.7%), empathy (64%) and sympathy (56%). Post-operative satisfaction with the surgical outcome was high and long-lasting in this large cohort of BS patients. However, most participants would retrospectively have undergone BS earlier. The main reason to choose BS as treatment for their obesity were impaired physical health or reduced quality of life. Nearby location to patients' residence and availability of surgeons with empathy were decisive motives for bariatric centre selection.