Three Kaiser Permanente Bernard J Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM) faculty members have teamed up on a study examining the diverse outcomes among patients who underwent weight loss surgery. The Bariatric Experience Long Term (BELONG) research project shows that, while bariatric surgery (or weight loss surgery) is recognized as a successful intervention for severe obesity, many other variables can play a role in the success of the procedure, with the type of bariatric operation performed on the patient being the primary factor contributing to significant differences in weight loss.
Coauthored by Deborah R. Young, PhD, MBA, KPSOM Professor of Health Systems Science; Karen J. Coleman, PhD, MS, KPSOM Professor of Health Systems Science; and Sonya L. Negriff, PhD, MA, KPSOM Associate Professor of Health Systems Science, the findings provide insights into tailoring patient care strategies for those preparing for bariatric surgery and highlight the importance of considering operation type as a key determinant of surgical success.