title: Understanding the life experiences of Brazilian women after bariatric surgery: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increase in bariatric surgeries has called into question the aspects that contribute to or impair the results. Psychosocial factors directly influence the results of the surgery, but a lot of controversy exists in relation to the degree of influence of these factors. We propose a qualitative investigation to understand the significance of the surgery for women and how these factors influence the outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a clinical-qualitative method, through the semi-directed interview with open-ended questions in an intentional sample, closed by saturation, with seven women operated in a period of 1.5-3 years, following the definition of emergent categories and qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experience of acceptance and social reinsertion is a motivating factor to keep up the challenge of weight loss; social discrimination is a risk factor leading to losing the stimulus to continue the process; the recuperation of self-esteem and personal identity is a factor that improves the quality of life and psychopathological symptoms; disillusionment is an important risk factor, linked principally to the experiences of failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observe the necessity of qualitative studies that serve the health team in the handling of these patients, aiming for a greater understanding of their psychological dynamics and of the meanings that weight loss has for them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Rua Padre Almeida 515, Campinas, Brazil. ronism@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Ronis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Magdaleno
authors.forename: Elinton Adami
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Chaim
authors.forename: Egberto Ribeiro
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Turato
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011287:Prejudice; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss