Current knowledge and perception of bariatric surgery among Greek doctors living in Thessaly

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to assess doctors' knowledge, current conceptions, and clinical practice regarding obesity and bariatric surgery.

METHODS

A self-administered survey was administered to 500 doctors with varying medical specialties in public and private practice.

RESULTS

The response rate was 60%. Most participants (77.3%) were in private practice. Although almost half of the participants could define morbid obesity and obesity-related comorbidities, only 8.7% felt educated about bariatric surgery. Participants had little knowledge of various types of bariatric procedures. A minority of doctors (24.7%) knew of the existence of a bariatric center in their area. Only 21.3% of doctors had referred a patient to a bariatric center. Reasons for non-referral included lack of interest in bariatric surgery (37.3%), patient refusal (35.3%), increased operative fees (17.3%), lack of confidence in bariatric surgery (6.3%), and lack of access to a nearby bariatric center (3.7%). The majority of doctors were interested in learning more about bariatric surgery and related guidelines, but they remained reluctant to conduct patients' postoperative follow-ups.

CONCLUSION

The penetration of bariatric surgery in the medical community remains limited, despite its proven effectiveness in facilitating sustained weight loss and resolving several obesity-related comorbidities. A great effort should be made to inform health-care providers about the evolution of bariatric procedures, the potential benefits they offer, and the existence of certified bariatric centers. This will allow doctors to provide optimum health care to patients who could benefit from bariatric surgery.