The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on bariatric patients’ self-management post-surgery

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had far reaching consequences on the health and well-being of the general public. Evidence from previous pandemics suggest that bariatric patients may experience increased emotional distress and difficulty adhering to healthy lifestyle changes post-surgery. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the impact of the novel COVID-19 public health crisis on bariatric patients’ self-management post-surgery. METHOD: In a nested-qualitative study, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 23 post-operative bariatric patients who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) at a Canadian Bariatric Surgery Program between 2014 and 2020. A constant comparative approach was used to systematically analyze the data and identify the overarching themes. RESULTS: Participants (n = 23) had a mean age of (48.82 ± 10.03) years and most were female (n = 19). The median time post-surgery was 2 years (range: 6 months–7 years). Themes describing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patients’ post-bariatric surgery self-management included: coping with COVID-19; vulnerability factors and physical isolation; resiliency factors during pandemic; and valuing access to support by virtual care. The need for patients to access post-operative bariatric care during COVID-19 differed based on gender and socioeconomic status. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted patients’ ability to self-manage obesity and their mental health in a variety of ways. These findings suggest that patients may experience unique psychological distress and challenges requiring personalized care strategies to improve obesity self-care and overall well-being.