Revisional bariatric surgery: Focus on quality of life

Abstract

Bariatric surgery is considered to be the most effective treatment for morbid obesity. At present, revisional surgery is considered in patients who experience complications, or in whom the intended weight loss is not achieved. However, as there is no consensus on what constitutes failure of primary surgery, there are no guidelines on who should receive revisional surgery. Physical parameters alone may be insufficient and quality of life has emerged as an alternative to provide a holistic appraisal of the outcome of primary surgery and the need for further revisional surgery in bariatric patients. Quality of life surveys such as short form health survey (SF-36) or Moorehead-Ardelt II (MA-II) assess the patients’perception of their weight and can also be used to assess the impact of post-operative complications such as gastro-esophageal reflux disease or dysphagia. However, unrealistic expectations of weight loss have been shown to be prevalent in bariatric patients and patients who seek revisional surgery on the basis of disappointment with the primary outcome are unlikely to be satisfied with the revisional outcome. Indications for re-operative surgery must be tailored to improve the quality and longevity of each individual patient’s life. Long term studies are required to investigate and validate quality of life as an indication for revisional surgery.