title: Body Image & Quality of Life: Changes With Gastric Bypass and Body Contouring.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bariatric surgery has emerged as an effective method of combating the morbid obesity epidemic. However, the massive weight loss that follows may result in contour changes that can affect body image and quality of life. Our study examines the effects and consequences of bariatric surgery and subsequent body contouring on body image and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were prospectively followed up through their experience with bariatric surgery and subsequent body contouring surgery. Using 2 validated survey instruments, the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire and the Short Form 36 (SF-36), patients completed questionnaires preoperatively and at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Mean scores were determined by repeated measures analyses of variance F tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred seventy-five patients were surveyed before bariatric surgery, with noted declines in survey completion at 6, 12, and 24 months. Appearance Evaluation scores improved significantly at all intervals (P = 0.0033), as did Body Area Satisfaction Scale and Appearance Orientation scores (P = 0.0079 and P = 0.044, respectively). While Overweight Preoccupation and Self-Classified Weight scores decreased over time, only the latter was significant (P < 0.0001). The composite SF-36 score for patients awaiting bariatric surgery (54.1%) with postoperative scores at 6 (67.6%,), 12 (at 74.0%), and 24 (76.7%) months being significantly higher (P < 0.0001). The body contouring group consisted of 41 patients who primarily had lower body procedures, with 31 patients surveyed at 6 months and 27 patients at 12 months. For this cohort, Appearance Evaluation and Body Area Satisfaction Scale scores both improved significantly (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0005, respectively) whereas Appearance Orientation scores declined significantly (P = 0.0055). Both Overweight Preoccupation and Self-Classified Weight scores decreased with only the latter being statistically significant (P = 0.0286). Postoperative SF-36 scores at 6 (72.9%) and 12 (64.5%) months were no different than patients awaiting body contouring (71.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using 2 validated survey instruments, we show that patients undergoing bariatric surgery have improvements in body image and quality of life. Subsequent postbariatric body contouring surgery results in further improvements in body image. Our findings provide measurable evidence for the value of body contouring after significant weight loss, which may favor greater insurance coverage for this patient population.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Plastic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Nirav Bipin
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gunther
authors.forename: Chin-Shang
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Carolyn Yuke Gee
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nathan Andrew
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Kludt
authors.forename: Kamlesh B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Mohamed R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D061645:Abdominoplasty / Q000523:psychology; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques / Q000523:psychology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D015187:Lipectomy / Q000523:psychology; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000523:psychology; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss