Christopher Pring

Background The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the impact of a health psychology-led bariatric rehabilitation service (BRS) on patient weight loss following bariatric surgery at 1 year. Methods A single-site open-randomised parallel group control trial based at St. Richard’s Hospital in Chichester in the UK. Patients (n = 162) were recruited immediately prior to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and randomly allocated to receive either treatment as usual (n = 80) or the BRS (n = 82). The BRS involved three 50-min one-to-one sessions with a health psychologist and provided information, support and mentoring pre and post surgery addressing psychological issues such as dietary control, self esteem, coping and emotional eating. Weight loss was assessed at 1 year. The key outcome variable was BMI and change in BMI. Results Follow-up weight was available for 145 patients. Intention-to-treat analysis (n = 162) using last measured weights showed that mean change in BMI by 1 year post surgery was −16.49. There was no significant difference between the two groups (control group = −16.37, 95 % CI = 15.15–17.57; intervention = −16.6, 95 % CI = 15.42–17.81; η _p ² = 0.001). Similarly, explanatory analysis (n = 145) showed a mean change in BMI of −17.17. The difference between the two groups was not significant (control group = −16.9, 95 % CI = 15.78–18.18; intervention = −17.35, 95 % CI = 18.5–16.16; η _p ² = 0.001). Conclusions Psychological support pre and post bariatric surgery had no impact on weight loss as measured by BMI and change in BMI by 1 year. It is argued that psychological support should be targeted to patients who start to demonstrate weight regain at a later stage. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01264120.

Background: Bariatric surgery is currently the most effective form of obesity management for those whose BMI is greater than 40 (or 35 with co morbidities). A minority of patients, however, either do not show the desired loss of excess weight or show weight regain by follow up. Research highlights some of the reasons for this variability, most of which centres on the absence of any psychological support with patients describing how although surgery fixes their body, psychological issues relating to dietary control, self esteem, coping and emotional eating remain neglected. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of a health psychology led bariatric rehabilitation service (BRS) on patient health outcomes. The bariatric rehabilitation service will provide information, support and mentoring pre and post surgery and will address psychological issues such as dietary control, self esteem, coping and emotional eating. The package reflects the rehabilitation services now common place for patients post heart attack and stroke which have been shown to improve patient health outcomes. Methods/Design: The study is a randomised control trial and patients will be allocated to receive either usual care or the bariatric rehabilitation service pre and post bariatric surgery. Follow up measures of weight loss and psychological issues will be taken at baseline (2 weeks preoperatively), 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. The contents of the bariatric service and the follow up measures are based on previous pilot work and have been developed further by the research team working closely with two patient support groups (BOSPA & WLSinfo). This study will take place in St Richard's Hospital in Chichester in the UK. Discussion: It is predicted that a bariatric rehabilitation service will improve weight loss following surgery and will also facilitate changes in other psychological variables such as quality of life, dietary control, self esteem, coping and emotional eating. This also has cost implications for the NHS and other healthcare providers as improved effectiveness of bariatric surgery reduces the health costs of obese patients in the longer term. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01264120.