Lotte Poulsen
Odense University Hospital, Denmark
Title: Patient expectations of body contouring surgery: A qualitative study
Biography
Biography: Lotte Poulsen
Abstract
Background Patients’ expectations are important in bariatric and body contouring surgery since the goals include improvements in health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), appearance and body image. The aim of this study was to identify patient expectations at different points along the weight loss journey and/or body contouring surgery.
Methods This qualitative study took an interpretive description approach. Between September 2009 and February 2012, 13 cosmetic and 36 bariatric surgery patients were interviewed post-body contouring surgery. Data were analyzed using a line-by-line approach whereby expectations were identified and labeled as expected, unexpected or neutral. Constant comparison was used to ensure coding was done consistently.
Results Participants described expectations according to appearance, HR-QOL, and patient experience of care. Two areas stood out in terms of unmet expectations and included appearance and physical health, i.e., recovery from body contouring surgery. Most participants, who underwent bariatric surgery, did not expect the extent of excess skin after weight loss, nor how the excess skin would make them look and feel. Participants were also not expecting to look as good as they did following body contouring. For recovery, participants did not expect that it would be as long and/or as hard as it was in reality.
Discussion A fuller understanding of outcomes and expectations for this patient population is needed to enhance patient education and improve shared medical decision-making. Education materials should be informed by the collection of evidence-based patient-reported outcome (PRO) information, using measures as the BODY-Q. A PRO scale measuring patient expectations is needed. Our team developed an expectation scale for cosmetic plastic surgery patients, which is being tested in body contouring surgery patients. This scale asks patients how they think their appearance and life will change after surgery. Future research is needed to develop a similar expectations scale for obese and bariatric patients.