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Perception and Awareness of Bariatric Surgery in Canada: a National Survey of General Surgeons

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Abstract

Background

The objective of this study was to assess Canadian general surgeons’ knowledge of bariatric surgery and perceived availability of resources to manage bariatric surgery patients.

Methods

A self-administered questionnaire was developed using a focus group of general surgeons. The questionnaire was distributed at two large general surgery conferences in September and November 2012. The survey was also disseminated via membership association electronic newsletters in November and December 2012.

Results

One hundred sixty-seven questionnaires were completed (104 practicing surgeons, 63 general surgery trainees). Twenty respondents were bariatric surgeons. Among 84 non-bariatric surgeons, 68.3 % referred a patient in the last year for bariatric surgery, 79 % agreed that bariatric surgery resulted in sustained weight loss, and 81.7 % would consider referring a family member. Knowledge gaps were identified in estimates of mortality and morbidity associated with bariatric procedures. The majority of surgeons surveyed have encountered patients with complications from bariatric surgery in the last year. Over 50 % of surgeons who do not perform bariatric procedures reported not feeling confident to manage complications, 35.4 % reported having adequate resources and equipment to manage morbidly obese patients, and few are able to transfer patients to a bariatric center. Of the respondents, 73.3 % reported residency training provided inadequate exposure to bariatric surgery, and 85.3 % felt that additional continuing medical education resources would be useful.

Conclusions

There appears to be support for bariatric surgery among Canadian general surgeons participating in this survey. Knowledge gaps identified indicate the need for more education and resources to support general surgeons managing bariatric surgical patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada

    Dhruvin H. Hirpara

  2. Division of General Surgery, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, 399 Bathurst Street Room 8MP-322, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2S8, Canada

    Michelle C. Cleghorn, Josephine Kwong, Fady Saleh, Fayez A. Quereshy, Allan Okrainec & Timothy D. Jackson

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada

    Sanjeev Sockalingam

Authors
  1. Dhruvin H. Hirpara
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  2. Michelle C. Cleghorn
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  3. Josephine Kwong
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  4. Fady Saleh
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  5. Sanjeev Sockalingam
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  6. Fayez A. Quereshy
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  7. Allan Okrainec
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  8. Timothy D. Jackson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Timothy D. Jackson.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Statement of Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Statement of Human and Animal Rights

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Funding

No external sources of funding were used for this study or its publication.

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Hirpara, D.H., Cleghorn, M.C., Kwong, J. et al. Perception and Awareness of Bariatric Surgery in Canada: a National Survey of General Surgeons. OBES SURG 26, 1799–1805 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-015-1975-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-015-1975-1

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