Qualitative study on postbariatric surgery follow-up in France: a new patient-physician relationship

Most studies on bariatric patients to date have only examined mortality and morbidities in terms of surgery or no surgery. Few have investigated loss to follow-up in post-surgery patients.

This study aimed to describe the dynamics behind non-adherence to follow-up in bariatric patients postsurgery.

Using semi-structured interviews, we performed a qualitative study. Using a thematic analysis, we described themes involved in patient adherence to postsurgery follow-up.

Participants were recruited from a university hospital near Paris and via social networks.

17 patients who had undergone surgery, some of whom were lost to follow-up, 15 women and 2 men, were interviewed, during a mean time of 90 min. 10 were adherent, and 7 were lost to follow-up.

Follow-up was seen as a support in which the care provider-patient relationship can act on the four following themes: (1) regaining control, (2) knowledge acquisition, (3) management of fears and (4) overall restructuring of one's life postsurgery.

Patients' experiences and representations of postsurgery follow-up should be documented in detail in order to define the specific roles of the various care providers offering support to this population, and to strengthen the coordination of care pathways between these actors. In addition, improving the quality of communication could improve adherence to follow-up after bariatric surgery.