title: Endoscopic plasma argon coagulation in treatment of weight regain after bariatric surgery: what does the patient think about this?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bariatric surgery, especially Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is an effective treatment for refractory morbid obesity, causing the loss of 75% of initial excess weight. After the surgery, however, weight regain can occur in 10-20% of cases. To help, endoscopic argon plasma coagulation (APC) is used to reduce the anastomotic diameter. Many patients who undergo this treatment, are not always familiar with this procedure and its respective precautions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine how well the candidate for APC understands the procedure and absorbs the information provided by the multidisciplinary team.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prepared a questionnaire with 12 true/false questions to evaluate the knowledge of the patients about the procedure they were to undergo. The questionnaire was administered by the surgeon during consultation in the preoperative period. The patients were invited to fill out the questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found out that the majority learned about the procedure through the internet. They knew it was an outpatient treatment, where the anesthesia was similar to that for endoscopy, and that they would have to follow a liquid diet. But none of them knew that the purpose of this diet was to improve local wound healing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bariatric patients who have a second chance to resume weight loss, need continuous guidance. The internet should be used by the multidisciplinary team to promote awareness that APC will not be sufficient for weight loss and weight-loss maintenance in the long term. Furthermore, there is a need to clarify again the harm of drinking alcohol in the process of weight loss, making its curse widely known.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Vita Batel, Endobatel, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Simone Dallegrave
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Marchesini
authors.affiliation: Hospital Vita Batel, Endobatel, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giorgio Alfredo Pedroso
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Baretta
authors.affiliation: Hospital Vita Batel, Endobatel, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Paula Carlini
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cambi
authors.affiliation: Hospital Vita Batel, Endobatel, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Batista
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Marchesini
mesh_terms: D057908:Argon Plasma Coagulation / Q000379:methods; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012008:Recurrence; D019233:Retreatment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015430:Weight Gain