BackgroundFollow-up care after bariatric surgery is essential in preventing post-surgical complications and promoting long-term weight loss maintenance. However, many patients do not attend post-surgical appointments with the bariatric team, which may contribute to poor surgical outcomes. ObjectivesThis study sought to understand sociodemographic factors related to follow-up appointment attendance and weight outcomes. The first objective was to determine whether there was a relationship between one-year follow-up appointment attendance and sociodemographic factors. The second objective was to determine whether patients from certain sociodemographic groups were more likely to attend a two-year follow-up appointment. The third objective was to determine if there were differences in weight outcomes for patients who attended follow-up appointments compared to those who did not attend. SettingUniversity Hospital, United States MethodsThis study was a retrospective observational study. Participants included 841 adult patients who underwent bariatric surgery, of which 505 (60.05%) attended a one-year appointment with the bariatric team (348 attended a follow-up visit with another medical provider), and 398 (47.32%) who had any follow-up medical visit at two years post-surgery. Sociodemographic variables were collected during a pre-surgical psychological evaluation. Weight-related variables were obtained through patients’ electronic medical records 12- and 24-months after surgery. ResultsYounger patients and those with lower education levels were less likely to attend the one-year follow-up appointment with the bariatric team. People who attend one year with bariatric team have more favorable weight outcomes at one-year and two-years after surgery. ConclusionsFollow-up appointment attendance with the bariatric team may be a critical factor in the effectiveness of bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery teams should employ strategies to increase attendance at the one-year follow-up visit with the surgical team. Additional strategies should be enacted to increase follow-up appointment attendance for patients with lower education levels.