title: Bariatric surgery makes dramatic difference to health-related quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the impact of bariatric surgery on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
  
  
  METHODS
  An audit of patients referred for bariatric procedures. Patients completed Short Form-36 questionnaires at their first pre-operative clinic and at their 6-month follow up appointment after surgery. SF-36 scores were compared with standard parametric tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  40 patients completed baseline SF-36 questionnaires and underwent bariatric surgery, 28 were surveyed again 6 months post-procedure during the audit period between December 2008 and December 2010. Twenty-three patients underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and five underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. The patients were predominantly New Zealand European, female, with a body mass index greater than 40 kg/m2. Significant improvements in health-related quality of life were observed. The physical and mental component summary scores were initially well below the population norms, but increased to the norm 6 months after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HRQoL of morbidly obese patients significantly improves after bariatric surgery. Services including the SF-36 in their measurement armamentarium can demonstrate the Service's impact on patient-perceived outcomes in addition to clinically-focused outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Auckland District Health Board, Private Bag 92024, Auckland, New Zealand. briarmcl@adhb.govt.nz
authors.forename: Briar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.forename: Grant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beban
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanderson
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McKillop
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jull
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss