What I as a Patient/Family need to know about Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery: A Booklet for Lay People

Abstract

Introduction: obesity and its comorbidities have an increasing prevalence each year, with a surgical treatment established for many years. Objective: to transform the preoperative, trans and postoperative aspects of bariatric and metabolic surgery in obese patients into accessible, clear and assertive information. Methods: This is an excerpt from a descriptive, observational and cross-sectional master's dissertation carried out in a hospital in the state of Pará.The information was collected through the institution's medical records, in addition to interviews with obese patients and close family members who presented the indications for bariatric and metabolic surgery. The study complied with the Research Standards involving Human Beings of the Ministry of Health and the National Health Council. Results and discussion: after analyzing the exclusion criteria, 98 patients and family members were included, who responded adequately to the questionnaire. Most were young adults, female, brown, with higher education and married. Soon after, an educational booklet was prepared for patients and their families. The research focused on selecting random bariatric surgery patients, being strategic in the information construction process. Conclusion: The tool as a booklet has very simple and intelligible didactics and can reach a very large percentage of patients, becoming of great value in the future of bariatric surgery, demystifying many topics that are still obscure for the vast majority of patients and their families.