An exploration of patient experiences of bariatric surgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An exploration of how bariatric surgery affects peoples’ everyday lives in the first two years following surgery
IRAS ID
119847
Contact name
Yitka N H Graham
Contact email
Research summary
Adult obesity is an increasing health concern in the UK, with an estimated 25% of the adult population classified as obese (NOO,2010). Bariatric (obesity) surgery is an effective method of weight loss for the treatment of obesity or obesity with related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes (Sjostrom et al, 2007)with weight-loss achieved by surgically altering the physiology of the digestive system. Literature shows patients experience lifestyle changes as a result of surgery (Sogg,2008),however this is largely through quantitative methods and from medical perspective, which does not account for the patient perspective. There is little information from the patient as to how these changes affect their everyday lives and is descriptive rather than explanatory.
This research study aims to understand how bariatric surgery affects patients everyday lives, focussing on the first two years of surgery, as evidence shows the majority of weight loss occurs at this time (Sjostrom et al, 2007). Qualitative methodology, using a grounded theory approach will be used to understand and theoretically explain, from the patient perspective, how bariatric surgery affects patients everyday lives. Data will be collected through unstructured interviews with participants attending the bariatric surgical service at City Hospitals Sunderland, and analysed using constant comparative analysis, to provide a theoretical explanation based on patient accounts of surgery.
The findings of the research will be written up as part of a PhD thesis and submitted to peer-reviewed journals for publication.References
National Obesity Observatory (2010) Adult Obesity. National Obesity Observatory [Online].
Sjostrom et al. (2007) Effects of bariatric surgery on mortality in Swedish obese subjects. New England Journal of Medicine, 357, pp.741-752.
Sogg, S. (2008) ’Revising the Boston Interview: incorporating new knowledge and experience’ Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 4(3), pp.455-463.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/1072
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jul 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion