Percepção da qualidade de vida de pessoas obesas submetidas a cirurgia bariátrica durante a pandemia da covid-19 em hospital de São Luís - MA

Abstract

Obesity is a problem considered of public health, and in the last three decades it has been characterized with global proportions and increasing prevalence, which directly affects the quality of life in aspects such as physical, psychological and social health. Bariatric surgery comes, in this context, as an effective treatment in the resolution of obesity and improvement in quality of life. In 2020, the covid-19 pandemic began, a disease that causes severe respiratory syndrome, affecting the quality of life of the entire population and bringing risks to the obese population. This study aims to evaluate the perception of quality of life of patients facing their experience in bariatric surgery, as well as to evaluate how the pandemic of covid-19 influenced the quality of life of these individuals. For this purpose, a descriptive research with a qualitative approach was carried out in a private hospital in São Luís, MA. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients, 6 men and 9 women. Data collection occurred between February and April 2021. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed and analyzed. After analyzing the interviews, we categorized the data into 5 categories: (i) Quality of life, a way of feeling good, in this category participants see when asked what they consider quality of life to be, they associate it with something that brings well-being, happiness. (ii) Bariatric surgery as a hope for a new beginning, the interviewees' statements always lead to how bariatric surgery brings hope for a new beginning, and all of them report that they have tried other methods before the surgery. (iii) Bariatric surgery as a way out to solve problems, interviewees seek bariatric surgery as a solution to a situation that afflicts them. (iv) Psychological aspects of patients undergoing bariatric surgery, the participants showed their dissatisfactions and anxieties with their physical state, relating their body image with their loss of self-esteem and (v) The experience of patients in times of pandemic covid-19. With the research, it was possible to contemplate how patients undergoing bariatric surgery experience their health situation, their feelings regarding the difficulties that obesity brings in relation to quality of life. In view of the speeches it can be noted that the interviewees seek surgery as a last alternative to achieve a healthier life, seeking health, physical, social, and psychological well-being. The pandemic of covid-19 brought feelings of anguish in front of the losses and the strong interference in the daily life, because it generated many damages to the quality of life.