Nursing care of the person having bariatric surgery.

The increasing incidence of morbid obesity suggests that the quantity of bariatric surgical procedures will continue to multiply each year. Bariatric surgery has become an accepted approach to weight management with the additional benefit of resolution of several co-morbidities. However, quality nursing care and effective patient teaching are essential to achieve positive patient outcomes. Nursing care along the continuum of the bariatric surgical experience is key to positive outcomes for these patients. Throughout the process from selection for surgery to follow-up visits in the physician's office, the nurse can have a significant impact on the response of the patient and family to the surgical procedure. During the selection process, the nurse can explain the required diagnostic tests and their rationale and conduct a thorough medical history, informing the physician of pertinent information that might affect the patient's outcomes. Patient and family teaching begins at this stage with information about the peri-operative experience. Bariatric surgery results in a major lifestyle change for the patient. This change will evolve over time as weight is lost, and the patient adjusts to changes in eating patterns, body image, and the perceptions of others. The nurse should see that the patient has appropriate referral information for support services and should follow up to see that the patient and family availed themselves of these services. The patient's stay in acute care is usually very short. Clearly the patient and family need to go home with specific information about drinking/eating, caring for drainage tubes, skin and wound care, ambulation, self-care, and signs and symptoms that require medical attention. Nursing care should include written information and demonstrations of such activities as care of the wounds and drains. The nurse should assure that the patient leaves the hospital with a call number if questions arise at home. Ideally the nurse, patient, and family should have an opportunity for private education sessions prior to discharge. During the postoperative period, the nurse in the physician's office can serve as a source of information and a monitor of patient progress. Follow-up calls to patients and families after surgery are very helpful in determining the welfare of the patient, offering suggestions for managing the patient's care, and learning if any complications are developing. At the same time, the nurse can assess the psychological condition of the patient and his or her adjustment to a new way of living.