Ascertaining Areas for Long-Term Follow-Up of Bariatric Surgical Patients for Primary Care: A Narrative Review

Introduction: Bariatric surgery is unique in terms of anatomical changes imposing a resetting of the physiological milieu. Although many changes are beneficial, adverse effects, complications, and impact on psychological well-being may occur. Health care professionals need to be aware of the impact of these changes and respond appropriately. The aim of the review was to analyze the existing corpus of literature and identify areas to inform a future long-term follow-up strategy for postsurgical patients. Methods: A narrative review was carried out, allowing a wide range of inclusion criteria across a broad range of topics. Two independent literature searches were carried out using PubMed. Results: Searches returned 49 results. Critical analysis of the literature was carried out, with consensus reached on topics of relevance and importance to postbariatric surgery long-term follow-up. Conclusions: This review highlights 12 common issues that bariatric patients may face after surgery, to facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment, to inform Primary Care professionals to deal with presenting symptoms, and to ensure appropriate action to inform best possible treatment and outcomes. We recommend that these areas are discussed further with the responsibility of follow-up, frequency of follow-up, and patient education taken into consideration when planning postbariatric care and support.