employment and professional outcomes in 803 patients undergoing bariatric surgery in a french reference center for obesity

background: very few studies have been performed on small populations about the links between employment and bariatric surgery. objective: to determine if rates of employment are increased among patients who have undergone bariatric surgery, to assess their post-operative health consequences (post-prandial weakness, diarrhea), and patients' ability to maintain post-operative advice (ie, 30 minutes of daily physical activity, 6 small meals daily) compared to non-employed post-surgical patients. methods: this cross-sectional study was performed in the regional reference centre for obesity, which is a partnership between the university hospital and a clinic in angers, france during 2012 using a self-administrated questionnaire completed by patients hospitalized for post-operative follow-ups after bariatric surgery. issues investigated were their professional situation before and after the surgery, compliancy to post-operative advice, and any postoperative side effects. results: employment rates were 64.4% before and 64.7% after the surgery (p=0.94). of these, 30.6% maintained 30 minutes of daily physical activity vs. 41.0% of non-workers (p=0.02). 50.5% of employed patients and 57.3% of non-workers maintained 6 small meals a day after surgery (p=0.09). 8% of working patients reported post-prandial weaknesses and 8% reported diarrhea that caused problems at work. conclusion: employment rate remained stable after surgery. having a job seemed to be an obstacle to managing 30 minutes of daily exercise, especially among women, but not maintaining 6 small meals a day. therefore, working environment needs to be assessed to improve job quality and retention for patients who have undergone bariatric surgery.