Characterizing barriers and facilitators of metabolic bariatric surgery tourism: a systematic review

Metabolic bariatric surgery tourism continues to rise and has become a growing concern for bariatric surgeons globally. With varying degrees of regulation, counselling and success, those that develop complications may have to deal with a multitude of challenges often distant from their country of operation. The aim of this study was to characterize the barriers and facilitators influencing individuals to undergo metabolic bariatric surgery tourism, in order to better understand the implications to the National Health Service and other healthcare systems.

A systematic literature search, restricted to the English language, was performed to identify relevant studies. All studies were included until December 2022, the last search date. Study quality was assessed with the validated mixed-methods appraisal tool. A Braun and Clarke thematic analysis was undertaken to identify themes and subthemes.

A total of five studies met the inclusion criteria. Identified themes included: availability, accessibility, cost, eligibility, reputation, and stigma; the available evidence was of varying quality.

This work identifies a series of subthemes influencing the decision to undertake metabolic bariatric surgery tourism. The results highlight the limited literature available in understanding the complex motivational insights; the scale of the problem in the current healthcare system; cost and long-term outcomes. A National Emergency Bariatric Surgery audit would allow generation of more robust data to explore further the issues of clinical relationships and networks and to guide policy making.