A needs assessment of bariatric surgery services in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Obesity in Saudi Arabia is a serious problem; 30% of men and 44% of women are obese, and these levels are anticipated to rise. Fortunately, obesity is amenable to surgical intervention. However, we do not know if Saudi Arabia has enough bariatric surgery services. The literature has already determined the number of bariatric surgeons and the number of bariatric surgeries annually in Saudi Arabia but has not investigated whether these services are sufficient for the size of the Saudi population. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if Saudi Arabia needs more bariatric services. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted by an email survey of 31 bariatric surgeons in Saudi Arabia. Likert scale based questionnaire was used to obtain opinions about the need for more bariatric surgeons. Results: This study found that Saudi Arabia does need more bariatric surgery services. Totally, 55% of the respondents agreed that Saudi Arabia needs more bariatric surgery services, 65% agreed that Saudi Arabia’s need for such services will increase in the next 10 years, 54% mentioned they had a long waiting list for bariatric surgery. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Saudi Arabia needs more bariatric surgery services. Therefore, hospitals in Saudi Arabia and the government should invest more in bariatric services.