Revista do Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgiões (May 2018)

Perception of body image by patients undergoing bariatric surgery

  • ROSANA MARIA RESENDE LACERDA,
  • CHRISTIANE RAMOS CASTANHA,
  • ALESSANDRA RAMOS CASTANHA,
  • JOSEMBERG MARINS CAMPOS,
  • ÁLVARO ANTÔNIO BANDEIRA FERRAZ,
  • LUCIO VILAR

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-6991e-20181793
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 45, no. 2

Abstract

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ABSTRACT Objective: to investigate changes in body image perception in patients undergoing bariatric surgery, evaluating the accuracy/inaccuracy in body size estimation and satisfaction/dissatisfaction with own body after surgery. Methods: we performed a survey at the General Surgery outpatient clinic of the Clinics Hospital of the Federal University of Pernambuco. Thirty-six patients aged 18 years and older undergoing bariatric surgery participated. We carried out cross-sectional and quantitative studies using the Silhouetted Figures Scale. Results: in the descriptive analysis of the distortion and dissatisfaction score of the patients with the body image, the mean distortion was positive (6.43kg/m²), indicating that most people see themselves greater than they really are. On the other hand, in the dissatisfaction, we found a negative mean (-6.91kg/m²), indicating that the majority of the patients evaluated had a “BMI” lower than the current one (that is, a smaller silhouette). Regarding satisfaction with silhouette size, only 11.8% of women liked the post-surgical result, while among men there was 50% satisfaction. Conclusion: Although bariatric surgery significantly reduced BMI, the patients presented, for the most part, dissatisfaction with body weight, perceiving it greater than it actually was, thus characterizing a perceptual inaccuracy.

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