Project-of-being in transformation: existential experience in bariatric surgery in light of phenomenology.
Caroline Linhares de Jesus, Luciara Fabiane Sebold, Bárbara Mohr da Silveira and 3 others
PMID 42561251WHAT IT FOUND
People after bariatric surgery described hope and anguish: improved self-esteem alongside fear of regain, compulsive eating, unfamiliar bodies, regret, and missing emotional support.
Key findings
01Before surgery, participants described the obese body as an obstacle to their life and reported depression and physical or mental fatigue.
02Early after surgery, some participants experienced complications that intensified regret, while others reported excitement and satisfaction with initial weight loss.
03Many participants described improved self-esteem after surgery, but excess skin and frustrated expectations challenged that new perception.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 13 people were interviewed, all from one capital city in southern Brazil, so this cannot show what most bariatric surgery patients experience. Participants were recruited through the researcher's social network and asked to refer others, which may favour people who are reachable and willing to talk. Interviews were remote and not validated by participants, so the reported themes are the researchers' interpretation. The study did not test any treatment or care model, so it cannot show that support, listening, or follow-up improves outcomes. It excluded people in the preoperative period, so it says nothing about patients who have not yet had surgery.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that bariatric surgery improves mental health or that a nursing approach works. It describes themes from 13 patients, including both distress and improved self-esteem, and did not compare outcomes.