The bariatric surgerycan it lead to suicide? If the association seems a little extreme, it is not totally wrong. A new study published in JAMA surgery magazine points out the potential psychological harm after the operation of a patient in a state of morbid obesity (Body mass index> 40).
The finding is worrying: obese people who have undergone bariatric surgery to lose weight are 50% more at risk of attempting suicide than before the operation, according to the study.
Suicide is not the only risk found in some of these patients who have an operation to reduce food absorption or the size of their stomachs. Researchers have also observed the existence of eating disorders or depression.
The importance of post-operative follow-up
To reach these conclusions, they searched the medical records of 8,815 Canadians who underwent bariatric surgery (gastric band, gastric bypass surgery, etc.) between 2006 and 2011. They were followed for six years, three years. before the operation and three years after.
The results show that the people most at risk of suicide mostly had mental disorders before being operated. In addition, suicide attempts occurred mainly between the second and third year after the intervention.
This work confirms the importance of carrying out post-operative follow-uppsychologically and not just nutrition. This would make it possible to identify upstream and take charge of any eating disorders, depressive episodes. Previous studies have also suggested that some patients may be at risk for alcohol dependence after weight loss surgery.
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