Quality of life assessment of morbidly obese patients: effect of weight-reducing surgery

The effect of surgically induced weight loss on the quality of life of morbidly obese patients was investigated in a controlled cross-sectional study. A postoperative group of 62 patients was compared with a control group of 20 preoperative patients. The Nottingham Health Profile part I(NHP-I) and part II (NHP-II) and a visual analogue scale were used for quality of life assessment. Significant differences were found on the NHP-II (P < 0.0001), the visual analogue scale (P < 0.001), and on the domains of mobility (P < 0.0001), energy (P < 0.001), and emotional reaction (P < 0.001) on the NHP-I in favor of the postoperative group. Better quality of life outcome was related to larger weight loss and shorter length of postoperative follow-up. No correlation was found between quality of life outcome and the type of surgical procedure or surgical complications. The unemployment rate was 53% for the overall postoperative group and 64% for the female postoperative group compared with 80% (P < 0.05) and 84% (NS) in the overall and female control groups, respectively. Overweight as the reason for unemployment was more frequent in the control group. The results of this study show that quality of life is better after surgically induced weight loss and is not related to the type of surgical procedure nor to surgical complications. Postoperative quality of life tends to decrease with time.