The Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Mobility, Health-Related Quality of Life, Healthcare Resource Utilization, and Employment Status.

Abstract

A sub-study of the Ontario Bariatric Registry was conducted to evaluate the impact of bariatric surgery on mobility, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and employment status. The 1-year change in mobility following bariatric surgery was evaluated using the mobility domain of the EuroQOL-5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L), which was self-administered at baseline and 1year after bariatric surgery along with questions on HRU. Another questionnaire was used to document employment status at time of surgery and 1year later. The population included 304 individuals (mean age=46years; 85% female). At baseline, 68% of participants had some problems in walking compared to 14% at 1year following surgery (p<0.001). The EQ-5D-5L health utility score increased from 0.73 to 0.90 (p<0.001). The number of hospitalizations increased significantly before and after surgery (p=0.021). Of the 304 study participants, 138 completed the questionnaire and responses indicated that more individuals reported a change in their employment status within 1year following surgery (26%) compared to 1year prior to the surgery (9%) (p<0.001). Within the limitations of this study, there is a suggestion that bariatric surgery has a major impact on mobility and HRQoL. More research is warranted to understand the benefits, costs, and cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery in Canada.