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Psychological Outcome Two Years after Restrictive Bariatric Surgery

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Background

An essential outcome criterion of obesity surgery besides weight loss is the improvement of medical and psychological health status. Both dimensions influence quality of life. This study evaluates depressive symptoms, self-esteem and health-related quality of life 2 years after bariatric surgery.

Methods

149 patients (47 males (32%), 102 females (68%), mean age 38.8 ± 10.3 years) were assessed by standardized questionnaires before and 1 and 2 years after gastric restrictive surgery.

Results

Mean BMI pre-surgery was 51.3 ± 8.4 kg/m2. BMI decreased significantly to 38.6 ± 6.8 kg/m2 at 1 year and to 37.9 ± 7.4 kg/m2 at 2 years after surgery. Statistical analyses revealed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms and a significant improvement in selfesteem and the physical dimension of health-related quality of life. Pre-surgery, 40.5% (n = 62) of the patients suffered from depressive symptoms of clinical relevance. These depressive symptoms persisted in 17.7% (n = 27) 1 year and in 16.4% (n = 25) 2 years after surgery.

Conclusion

Parallel with a considerable weight loss after bariatric surgery, important aspects of mental health such as depressive symptoms and selfesteem improved significantly. These effects appear 1 year after surgery, but do not seem to change considerably afterwards.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Westfälische Klinik Dortmund, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Ramona Burgmer PhD, Inga Petersen PhD & Stephan Herpertz MD

  2. Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Münster, Münster, Germany

    Markus Burgmer MD

  3. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany

    Martina de Zwaan MD

  4. Clinic of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Clinic Ulm, Ulm, Germany

    Anna Maria Wolf MD

Authors
  1. Ramona Burgmer PhD
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  2. Inga Petersen PhD
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  3. Markus Burgmer MD
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  4. Martina de Zwaan MD
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  5. Anna Maria Wolf MD
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  6. Stephan Herpertz MD
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Correspondence to Ramona Burgmer PhD.

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Burgmer, R., Petersen, I., Burgmer, M. et al. Psychological Outcome Two Years after Restrictive Bariatric Surgery. OBES SURG 17, 785–791 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-007-9144-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-007-9144-9

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