Very little is known about the level of knowledge about weight-loss surgery among family doctors in the UK.
This survey was conducted among family doctors in Connecticut, USA. Investigators sent out a total of 620 surveys, out of which 129 (21%) were completed and returned. The responding doctors reported an obesity prevalence of 43% amongst their own patients.
Of the 129 respondents 88% believed obesity was difficult to control with diet and physical activity alone, yet only 6% thought that obesity was best controlled surgically. The most common reason cited for not referring obese patients for a surgical opinion, was fear of complications and death. Despite this, 85% of doctors had referred a pateint for gastric bypass, though only 57% felt comfortable explaining the procedure. Additionally, 55% correctly listed a body mass index (BMI) of 40kg/m2 as qualifying for bariatric surgery without co-morbidities and 48% identified the mortality rate for surgery as <1%, with 4% of respondents reporting >10%. Respondents believed that nausea was the most conmmon side-effect, followed by anaemia and fatigue. Finally, 53% belived bowel obstruction was common.
Comment
These results are interesting, though not always consistent. For example, if only 6% thought that obesity was best controlled surgically, it’s slightly surprising that 85% of doctors had referred a patient for gastric bypass. It’s also rather odd that more than half believd that bowel obstruction was common in bariatric procedures. In fact is it extremely uncommon.
Nevertheless, these results suggest that even in the USA, where obesity surgery has been well established for many years, misconceptions are still widespread. Moreover, given that obesity surgery is still in its infancy in the UK, knowledge among British family doctors is likely to be much worse than that found in this study.
If you are considering surgery for weight problems it is important you contact specialists in this field to discuss the various options available to you.
Perlman SE, Reinhold RB, nadzam GS. How do family practitioners perceive surgery for the morbidly obese?
Surg Obes Relat Dis 2007, April 17 [E-pub ahead of print].
