Body contouring after bariatric surgeries in Jordan: Awareness, prevalence, and challenges: A multicentric cross-sectional study

Body-contouring surgeries are known to improve the quality of life and body image of patients undergoing bariatric surgery. However, only a small number of patients choose to undergo body-contouring surgeries. This study evaluated the prevalence of body-contouring surgeries among patients who underwent bariatric surgery in Jordan, and identified the limitations encountered. This study is an observational multicentric cross-sectional study. A validated questionnaire was distributed to patients who had undergone bariatric surgeries between July 2017 and June 2021 at the University of Jordan Hospital and a bariatric surgery private center in Amman, Jordan. Inclusion criteria were based on the type of bariatric surgery (Sleeve Gastrectomy or Roux-En-Y gastric bypass) and the surgery date falling within the study period, with participation requiring the completion of an online questionnaire. Collected data was analyzed using various statistical tests, with a predetermined alpha level of 0.05 to determine statistical significance. Of 451 eligible participants, a total of 305 patients completed the validated questionnaire. Of these, 11 responses were excluded due to incomplete data. The analysis focused on remaining 294 participants who underwent bariatric surgery between July 2017 and June 2021, with only 7 participants (2.4%) electing to undergo body-contouring surgeries. The primary barriers to body-contouring surgeries reported by participants were cost (62.7%) and fear of postoperative complications (31.8%). Females exhibited a significantly greater desire for body-contouring surgeries (P = .000), which was also related to the percentage of total weight loss following bariatric surgery (P = .025). However, no significant associations were observed between desiring body-contouring surgeries and marital status (P = .734) or employment status (P = .319). The low rate of body-contouring surgeries in Jordan reflects the importance of strengthening the patient-physician relationship through targeted education efforts that emphasize the expected consequences of bariatric surgery and the available solutions to address them. Additionally, encouraging collaboration among caregivers, healthcare authorities, and insurance providers is necessary to develop more inclusive treatment plans that are tailored to meet the diverse needs and socioeconomic backgrounds of patients.