Evaluating the need for dermatological care in a postsurgical bariatric sample.

BACKGROUND

Bariatric surgery rates are increasing in tandem with obesity in the United States. patients after surgery bariatric can lose up to or more than one-third of their excess weight within the first year. This sudden loss of weight can lead to skin redundancy and increased susceptibility to dermatological issues. There is a paucity of literature addressing the issue of skin redundancy and associated factors following bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the prevalence and severity of dermatological concerns among postbariatric surgery patients and assess the impact of these issues on patients' quality of life.

SETTING

Surgical Weight Loss Clinic at an academic medical center in south-central Pennsylvania.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was administered from September 9 to November 30, 2020 to adult postoperative patients. Data were collected via self-report questionnaires with a retest issued approximately 72 hours later. The survey included questions regarding occurrences of skin disturbances and the Dermatology Life Quality Index. All analyses were conducted using SAS version 9.4.

RESULTS

A total of 575 patients were invited to participate, with 103 participating and 69 completing the retest. The health questionnaire indicated that 69.6% of patients had challenges with skin rashes or irritation due to loose skin; 80.6% were interested in having skin removal surgery; and only 5.8% were referred to a dermatologist for their concerns.

CONCLUSION

The presence of skin concerns was associated with impaired HRQOL among postbariatric patients. This suggests a need to further educate the bariatric interdisciplinary team to evaluate the impacts of skin pathology on postbariatric patients.