Virtual Preoperative Education in Bariatric Surgery: Patient Acceptance and Travel-Related Carbon Savings

Comprehensive preoperative patient education is critical for optimizing postoperative outcomes and long-term weight management after bariatric surgery. Traditional in-person educational sessions, however, generate considerable greenhouse gas emissions, primarily due to participant travel. Telemedicine offers an environmentally sustainable alternative with the potential to reduce the carbon footprint within obesity care. This study aimed to quantify savings in greenhouse gas emissions and assess patient acceptance of virtual preoperative obesity educational sessions compared to conventional in-person courses.

Between January and December 2024, N = 183 patients attending a virtual preoperative educational seminar for individuals with obesity-integrated into standard bariatric surgical preparation-were surveyed regarding their hypothetical travel behavior, had the seminar been held in person. Distances from participants' residences to the seminar location and preferred transportation modes were used to calculate avoided CO₂ emissions utilizing the Transport Emission Model (TREMOD) developed by the German Federal Environment Agency.

The average one-way travel distance was 33.08 km, with 83.6% of participants indicating they would have traveled by private vehicle, predominantly powered by internal combustion engines. Transitioning to the virtual format resulted in a total avoidance of approximately 1.792 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions over the study period. Patient acceptance of the virtual format was high, with 93.4% of the cohort rating it as equivalent or superior to in-person sessions. Notably, 25% of the participants stated they would not have attended the mandatory session if held exclusively in person, indicating that the virtual format successfully bridged a significant attendance gap.

Given the increasing prevalence of obesity and the critical role of preoperative education in bariatric care, telemedicine represents an effective strategy to meaningfully reduce travel-related emissions. Virtual educational interventions eliminate CO₂-intensive journeys while maintaining broad accessibility and high patient satisfaction. Integrating telemedicine into obesity surgery care pathways can thus significantly contribute to sustainable, climate-conscious healthcare delivery.