Supporting Long-Term Health After Bariatric Surgery: A New Approach to Follow-Up
Severe obesity requires comprehensive treatment, and maintaining health and quality of life after treatment – notably bariatric surgery – is crucial. Lifetime follow-up is recommended,initially with surgeons and endocrinologists for at least two years,then transitioning to the patient’s primary care physician coordinated with a broader support team. This team should include a dietitian, psychologist, and adapted physical activity instructor. Unfortunately,many patients discontinue this vital long-term care,increasing the risk of nutritional deficiencies and weight regain.
To address this gap, the “One Less Weight” therapeutic education program, led by Professor Jean-Pierre Faure, has developed a novel “my Life with Surgery” day hospital program for patients who have become distanced from their post-operative care. This initiative, a collaborative effort between visceral surgery, endocrinology, the Specialized Center of Obesity (with Dr.Helena Mosbah and David Sousssi-Berjonval), the “Life” team, patient representatives, and the Unit for Therapeutic Education (UTTEP), was designed based on direct feedback from patients about their needs and expectations.
A Holistic, Interdisciplinary Approach
The “My Life with Surgery” day hospital is facilitated by an interdisciplinary team: Karine Masant (therapeutic education nurse), Marion Moine (general practitioner), Angélique Gaborit and Sandra RuiZ-roldan (psychologists), Delphine Ladril (dietitian), and Thomas Abascal (adapted physical activity instructor).
Every two months, the team hosts a session for five patients and their caregivers. These sessions provide a dedicated space to discuss life after bariatric surgery and the importance of ongoing follow-up. The group format encourages peer support and identification of challenges. Each session also includes an individual medical consultation.
Empowering Patients & Ensuring Continuity of Care
The program emphasizes patient agency in their own care. Participants are encouraged to actively participate in their follow-up and are connected with additional resources, such as ongoing therapeutic education programs. Crucially, a letter is sent to the patient’s primary care physician to ensure seamless coordination of care.
A unique element of the program is a thematic card game developed by Karine Masant and the team. This educational tool facilitates discussions around key aspects of post-bariatric life, including physical activity, nutrition, psychological well-being, and daily health.”Joker” cards allow patients to introduce topics important to them, fostering open dialog. As karine Masant explains, the goal is “to be able to exchange, identify the difficulties and identify if there is a need to replace follow -up according to the situation.”
Ultimately, “My Life with Surgery” aims to reinforce the importance of lifelong monitoring and empower patients to maintain motivation and self-care habits, leading to sustained health and well-being after bariatric surgery.
