Adherence to nutritional follow-up after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a single center experience in the Umbria region in Italy

BACKGROUND: Postoperative follow-up is important for persons with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery, to manage comorbidities and pos-sible complications, to maximize weight loss and to reduce weight regain, through a multidisciplinary counselling. Unfortunately, patients with obesity frequently drop-out follow-up programs.METHODS: This single-center survey investigates adherence to nutritional follow-up program and the possible causes of drop-out in 281 obese patients treated with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at the "San Giovanni Battista" Hospital in Foligno (Umbria, Italy).RESULTS: Only 31.3% had completed the one-year follow-up. Patients reported that they did not feel the need for a professional help to lose additional weight, while a large proportion of patients complained practical difficulties in attending the scheduled visits.CONCLUSIONS: Periodical surveys among the patients dropping the follow-up programs of obesity center should be encouraged, to improve the patients' adherence and quality results.