Objectives: Only a fraction of post-bariatric patients who develop excess skin folds receive their desired body contouring surgery (BCS) to correct this complication. Our study aimed to explore all potential barriers to accessing BCS in a Canadian setting. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 patients who have received either bariatric surgery and BCS or only bariatric surgery in order to achieve saturation of themes using grounded theory analysis. Results: Nine out of 10 interviewees reported having significant excess skin folds, and all nine of these patients reported a desire for BCS. The most frequently reported barrier was cost (n = 9). Patients identified six additional barriers preventing access to BCS that were classified into two categories: patient barriers, which included fear of the surgery, others' perception of surgery, information seeking difficulties, and logistics of the surgery, and healthcare system barriers, which consisted of the prolonged wait time for BCS and lack of advocacy for patients. Conclusion: Despite the potential benefit of and strong desire for BCS for excess skin folds post-bariatric surgery, our study highlighted cost and several barriers beyond cost that influence patient access to this surgical procedure. This suggests reassessing strategies for more comprehensive post-bariatric care.
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