Wouter Leclercq

Chapter 5 78 The preoperative education given by a multidisciplinary team helps patients to select the type of surgery and has an important input on psychological adaptation. 17 As part of the bariatric SIC, preoperative education informs patients about the bariatric procedure, alternative treatment options, perioperative and postoperative risks, short and long- term results and effects on daily life and future health. Explaining the changes to be expected after bariatric surgery will help anticipate to negative feelings. 15 Furthermore, the bariatric surgeon should inform the patient that the surgery itself does not guarantee a successful outcome but that the outcome is dependent on how well the lifestyle change is followed. 9,13 A well conducted bariatric SIC process enables patients to make an informed decision to undergo a bariatric procedure and can improve patients’ satisfaction. The young adulthood is a stage with many changes: leaving parental care, starting a professional career, changes in peer relationships and starting a family. 9 As young adults are in a different stage of life compared to adults, they may require other information and/or another approach, for example receiving information from other young bariatric patients and more involvement of his/her family in the SIC process. 9 Following this perspective, the aim of this study is to gain a detailed understanding of the perceptions and experiences of young adults undergoing bariatric surgery regarding the SIC process and the preoperative education in bariatric surgery.