Bulimia nervosa following bariatric surgery: a case report

Abstract

Bariatric surgery is an obesity treatment method gaining popularity in recent years. Since it may cause rapid weight loss and improvement in comorbid conditions, it is a preferred modality in some of the obese patients. Both obesity and bariatric surgery interact with psychiatric disorders and require a thorough psychiatric evaluation. It has been shown that eating disorders diagnosed in the preoperative period may continue postoperatively as well. However, development of eating disorders in the postoperative periodfor the first time is quite rare. Here, we present a patient who was diagnosed with bulimia nervosa after she had bariatric surgery for obesity. After psychiatric evaluation, she was diagnosed with bulimia nervosa that developed after bariatric surgery. Medical and cognitive behavioral therapy programs were initiated. A partial improvement in her disturbed body perception was observed. She is still on medical and cognitive behavioral therapies. Eating disorder like bulimia nervosa may develop even in patients whose preoperative psychiatric evaluation is normal. Therefore, we suggest not only preoperative but also postoperative detailed psychiatric evaluation and follow up in obese patients who are candidate for bariatric surgery. [Med-Science 2017; 6(1.000): 114-6]

Keywords

• Morbid obesity
• bariatric surgery
• bulimia nervosa
• weight loss