Early Health Status and Health-Related Quality of Life after Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery in Morbidly Obese Patients

Background: Patients undergoing surgical treatment for obesity are likely to experience changes in their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The purposes of this study were to investigate HRQOL before and after laparoscopic gastric bypass (LOB) surgery, and to describe the influence of weight loss surgery on HRQOL in morbidly obese patients. Methods: Patients with morbid obesity who underwent weight loss surgery at a hospital in Taiwan were recruited. The standard survey was administered before surgery and again 3 months after LOB to patients with a body mass index (BMI) of >40 kg/m(2) or a BMI >= 35 kg/m(2) when combined with diabetes/hypertension. Results: The sample included 40 patients; 62.5% were women and the average age of participants was 30.1 years. Scores on the subscales of the Medical Outcomes Study SF-36 demonstrated significant improvements between baseline and follow-up. The physical health domain was most affected. There were also significant improvements related to physical functioning, physical-role limitations, bodily pain, general health perceptions, emotional-role limitations, and general mental health at 3 months after LGB. BMI explained 26.5% of the variance in HRQOL change after LGB. The higher the BMI level, the poorer the HRQOL after LGB. Marital status and body weight explained 26.8% of variances of mental component summary after LGB. Conclusions: Significant weight loss was achieved as early as 3 months after LGB and was associated with substantial improvement in HRQOL in patients. The results of the study foster knowledge of and support research about improving the HRQOL and lives and nursing care of those suffering from obesity.