Medical and Lay Information about Obesity Surgery

Reluctance or open opposition to new surgical techniques or surgical approaches are common both with medical and non-medical groups, and they are mainly due to lack of proper knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of these procedures. In Mexico, there is a lag between medical and surgical progress and the medical and lay information about them. The purpose of this study was to assess the magnitude of this situation. The 238 physicians interviewed comprised 137 internists and 101 surgeons. 787 patients were also interviewed; all of them were asked about obesity surgery, information on medical and non-medical publications, advice about obesity surgery in a special case or patient, and type of surgery performed. Among the physicians, none of the internists would advise obesity surgery to any patient, and most of them only recall intestinal bypass as the current procedure for obesity; only 3% had read about obesity surgery. Surgeons, on the contrary, had more precise information about surgery, 25% had read about techniques and results, and 20% would advise surgery for their patients. The general population had a very vague idea of obesity surgery, with confusion between liposuction and intestinal surgery; most of the individuals interviewed had magic or miraculous conceptions about surgeons and their ‘powers’ to eliminate fat. It is concluded that medical and non-medical groups lack the adequate knowledge and comprehension of obesity surgical procedures, and this is one of the problems obesity surgeons face in everyday practice.