BACKGROUND: The human being is not alone; he is always compared to their peers and the environment. Every change corresponds to a social reaction and a response issued in the form of behavior. AIM: To evaluate some of the postoperative psychological conditions and life style in a short and in a long term follow-up. METHOD: A 26 item evaluation questionnaire was sent to post bariatric patients concerning to motivation and compliance to the treatment, behavioral changes, humor alterations, reaching of expectancies among others. RESULTS: The majority of this group of patients felt prepared for surgery during the first office interview, but didn't know the method of treatment that they were about to be submitted to. The majority also had not been treated for their psychological and/or psychiatric conditions and didn't change their life style after the operation. Compliance to nutrition orientation was partial and there were evident emotional manifestations. The weight regain complaint was small compared with the satisfaction of the weight loss. Most of these patients would be submitted again to the operation, and half of them stated the need for support groups. Patients wanted the operation, but didn't realize the need of better preparation and didn't change the behavioral patterns necessary to reach the success in a long term follow-up. They usually abandon the postoperative treatment. CONCLUSION: It can be inferred that the motivations that lead individuals to seek bariatric surgery are predicated on social returns, in the aesthetic standards and the psychological desire for life change. Once implemented the change of life, motivation is over, but does not guarantee the existential satisfaction. It is also possible to infer that the preparation for the care of spouses and family claims a space in training professionals in the area of surgical treatment of obesity, for the prevention of relapses can be therapeutic focus.
Obesity; Bariatric surgery; Evaluation; Recurrence
