BACKGROUND Bariatric surgery patients have symptoms such as “plugging.” Therefore, a possible good way to avoid these eating discomforts, typical of the early period after bariatric surgery, is to educate the patient. The Mindful Eating (ME) consists of paying attention to physical signs of hunger and satiety and developing awareness of emotional triggers related to food. In addition, conscious food choices reflect positively on the speed of chewing at mealtime. AIMS Due to the difficulties that patients reported during consultations to controlling their bad eating habits and the lack of tools to help the bariatric patient change eating habits, we elaborated “BariMEP: A Mindful Eating Placemat for bariatric surgery patients.” METHODS The BariMEP was written by the multidisciplinary bariatric team based on a study by Russell et al. and ME principles in order to help bariatric patients pay attention to what and how they eat at each meal. RESULTS The BariMEP has some instructions based on Mindful Eating principles: get your seat at the table; do not distract yourself; before starting to eat, try breathing sometimes; recognize the internal hunger and satiety cues; let the fork rest at each bite and chew a lot; pay attention to the smell and taste; and be as present as possible at this time with nonjudgment. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, a tool has been developed with the aim of preparing the patient for bariatric surgery. Since the BariMEP is easy to teach and cheap, we suggest that the BariMEP be included in the bariatric surgery protocol.

RESUMO Introdução: o tratamento cirúrgico da obesidade acarreta importantes alterações na mecânica respiratória. Objetivo: analisar comparativamente a força muscular respiratória em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia bariátrica do tipo bypass gástrico por laparotomia e por videolaparoscopia durante o internamento cirúrgico. Métodos: estudo observacional com delineamento longitudinal não-randomizado, de caráter quantitativo. Foram coletados dados de 60 pacientes com índice de massa corporal igual ou superior a 40Kg/m2, candidatos a cirurgia bariátrica e divididos em grupo 1, para os operados por laparotomia (n=30), e grupo 2, para os operados por videolaparoscopia (n=30). Foram excluídos os tabagistas, os pacientes incapazes de executar o exame de forma correta e os portadores de doenças pulmonares prévias. Ambos os grupos foram avaliados no pré-operatório imediato, no primeiro e no segundo dias de pós-operatório através do teste de manovacuometria para a força muscular respiratória e da escala visual analógica de dor. Resultados: a amostra foi homogênea em relação à idade, índice de massa corporal e sexo. Foi observado redução das pressões respiratórias máximas após a cirurgia para os operados por laparotomia, sem retorno aos valores basais no dia da alta hospitalar no segundo dia pósoperatório. Esse grupo também cursou com dor mais intensa e maior tempo cirúrgico. Não houve diferença das medidas de pressão respiratória após a cirurgia no grupo operado por laparoscopia. Conclusões: a cirurgia bariátrica pela via convencional reduz a força muscular respiratória no pós-operatório e cursa com dor mais intensa durante a internação cirúrgica em relação à via laparoscópica.

Introduction: surgical treatment of obesity causes important changes in respiratory mechanics. Aim: Comparatively analyze respiratory muscle strength in post bariatric patients underwent to gastric bypass by laparotomy and laparoscopy during hospital stay. Methods: observational study with a non-randomized longitudinal design, of a quantitative character. Data were collected from 60 patients with BMI 40Kg/m2, divided in laparotomy group (n=30) and laparoscopy group (n=30). Smokers, patients with previous lung diseases and those unable to perform the exam correctly were excluded. Both groups were evaluated at immediate postoperative, first and second postoperative days with manovacuometry for respiratory muscle strength and visual analogue pain scale. Results: the sample was homogeneous in age, sex and BMI. Reduction in maximal respiratory pressures was observed after surgery for those operated on by laparotomy, no return to baseline values on discharge day on the second postoperative day. This group had also more severe pain and longer operative time. There was no difference in respiratory pressure measurements after surgery in the laparoscopy group. Conclusion: conventional bariatric surgery reduces muscle strength in the postoperative period and leads to more intense pain during hospitalization when compared to the laparoscopy group.