Tomasz Stefura1, Jakub Dros1, Artur Kacprzyk1, Katarzyna Chlopas1, Oksana Skomarovska1, Marta Krzysztofik1, Katarzyna Major2, Mateusz Rubinkiewicz, MD3, Mateusz Wierdak, MD3, Michal Wysocki, MD3, Magdalena Pisarska, MD3, Piotr Malczak, MD3, Michal Pedziwiatr, MD, PhD3, Andrzej Budzynski, MD, PhD3, Piotr Major, MD, PhD3. 1Students’ Scientific Group at 2nd Department of General Surgery, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland, 2Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland, 32nd Department of General Surgery, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
Introduction: Due to constantly growing demand for surgical treatment of obesity in Poland, there is a need for creating new bariatric centers and further improving presently active ones. Therefore, we aimed to identify which stages conducting peri-operative care and organizing modern bariatric center pose the greatest challenge currently in Poland.
Materials and Methods: An anonymous survey was designed and distributed to Polish bariatric surgeons. Our questionnaire was divided into three parts: demographic characteristics, difficulties assessed on a scale 1-5 associated with peri-operative care for bariatric patients and organization and running of bariatric centers in which participants are currently working.
Results: Overall, 70 surgeons and surgical residents from 17 Polish surgical centers participated in our survey. The most difficult element of the pre-operative care was compliance with recommendation to cease smoking (3.47 ± 1.28). The most difficult obstacle during postoperative care period was implementation of the ERAS protocol (2.27 ± 1.31). Funding for the bariatric treatment was obtained exclusively from National Health Fund by 60 respondents (85.7%) working in 15 different bariatric centers (88.2%). Among elements of bariatric infrastructure access to operating theater equipment sized for morbidly obese patients was reported to be the most difficult (3.8 ± 1.68).
Conclusion: Pre-operative recommendations including smoking, physical activity or weight-loss are difficult to execute. Introducing ERAS protocol based peri-operative care in bariatric departments remains to be difficult in polish reality. The development of specialized bariatric centers included in the centralized register and equipped with specialized infrastructure for obese patients seems to be the next step to improve post-operative results.
Presented at the SAGES 2017 Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.
Abstract ID: 94171
Program Number: P082
Presentation Session: Poster Session (Non CME)
Presentation Type: Poster