Quality of Life after Bariatric Surgery—A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Most studies analyzing the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after bariatric treatment ceased at five years post-surgery or even earlier, and it is unclear whether the HRQOL benefit persists for a longer time. This paper reviews sparse evidence regarding HRQOL in patients who underwent bariatric surgery at least nine years prior. Materials and Methods: A of PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar between 2007–2021 was carried out for the studies investigating HRQOL as an outcome measure in patients after bariatric surgery of any type and having at least a 9-year follow-up. Inconsistent reporting of weight loss or postgraduate study results unrelated to QoL were not included in the study. The study used the PICO procedure. Results: The review of 18 identified publications demonstrated that bariatric treatment seems to provide a persistent benefit in terms of HRQOL, especially its physical component score. Due to psychological predispositions, some patients appear to be less likely to benefit from bariatric treatment, whether in terms of HRQOL or bodyweight reduction. Inconsistent and imprecise studies may limit the evidence included in a review. Conclusions: The early identification of such patients and providing them with holistic care, including psychological intervention, would likely further improve the outcomes of bariatric treatment.

Complementary elements of support after gastric‐bypass surgery perceived by adults with previous type 2 diabetes: A qualitative study 2 years after bariatric surgery

“…These patients should be offered psychological intervention, which is likely to further improve the results of bariatric treatment. 14 Similar results were shown in a 3-year follow-up study in 2022. 15 A UK study 16 confirmed the wish for more psychological support related to, for example, eating behaviour.…”

“…However, it was shown that some participants did not achieve expected results either in terms of HRQoL or weight loss. These patients should be offered psychological intervention, which is likely to further improve the results of bariatric treatment 14 . Similar results were shown in a 3‐year follow‐up study in 2022 15 …”

The effects of bariatric surgery on sexual life, depression and quality of life in women

“…One of the most important reasons for people to undergo BSis to increase the QoL by increasing selfesteem and reducing anxiety and depression. 31 Sierżantowicz et al 10 have reported that the healthrelated QoLbenefit persists for a longer time, at least a 9-year follow-up after BS. According to Vieira et al 31 , BS improved the quality of life in women of reproductive age, reduced comorbidities and improved their sexual experience in emotional and physical fields.Silva et al 32 state that patients undergoing BS show improved psychological conditions after weight loss.…”

Bariatric Surgery and Psychological Health: A Randomised Clinical Trial in Patients with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

“…For example, although several short-term studies have reported that bariatric surgery significantly decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety in the initial post-operative year [8][9][10][11], longer-term studies including a recent systematic review [12] have demonstrated that these improvements begin to deteriorate 2 to 3 years post-surgery [5,9,10,13,14]. Similar questions exist for quality of life outcomes following surgery and whether improvements in healthrelated quality of life persist over time [15].…”