DEPRESSIVE AND EATING DISORDERS IN PATIENTS POST-BARIATRIC SURGERY WITH WEIGHT REGAIN: A DESCRIPTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

BACKGROUND: Although bariatric surgery is today’s gold standard treatment for obesity, weight regain affects the success rate of the procedure. Recent studies have identified psychiatric and neurological factors as possible causes. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of psychiatric diseases on the outcome and long-term success of bariatric surgeries and find a weight regain threshold that has an acceptable sensibility to mental health-related issues to be used in research and clinical studies. METHODS: This is a observational study of bariatric patients submitted to Roux-en-Y bypass or sleeve gastrectomy, with a postoperative time of 2–10 years to access weight regain, depression, and binge-eating disorder. RESULTS: Of 217 patients studied, 163 were women and 54 were men, with an average postoperative time of 5.2±2.6 years. Weight regain was experienced in 35% of the patients, binge-eating disorder in 24.9%, and depression in 24%. The greater weight before surgery, body mass index (BMI), percentage increase to maximum weight loss, and time postoperatively all have a significant positive correlation with weight regain (p=0.045, p=0.026, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively). A significant association between binge-eating disorder, depression, and anxiety with weight regain (p=0.004, p=0.008, and p=0.001, respectively) was found. CONCLUSIONS: The significant weight regain rates with significant impact on psychiatric disorders highlight the need for continuous postoperative monitoring focused on the psychiatric aspects of obesity to aid surgeries’ long-term success.