The Effect of Lifestyle Modification on Gastrointestinal Disorders in Patients Undergoing Sleeve Gastrectomy

Bariatric surgery is one of the recent advances in the treatment of morbid obesity associated with gastrointestinal disorders. Because of the importance of lifestyle on health promotion, we aimed to investigate the effect of lifestyle modification on gastrointestinal disorders in patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy.

This study was a clinical trial performed in the surgical ward of Hazrat Valiasr Hospital during 2020-2021. 70 patients underwent bariatric surgery according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were purposefully selected and randomly assigned using quadratic block A and B and divided into experimental and control groups The day before the surgery, an educational intervention was performed for the experimental group with respect to lifestyle modification including six dimensions (nutrition, physical activity, responsibility for health, stress management, relationships and interpersonal support, and spiritual growth, and selffulfillment). The day before and two months after sleeve gastrectomy, the participants were evaluated using the health-promoting lifestyle profile II and a researcher-made questionnaire on gastrointestinal complications. Data were analyzed by SPSS software, version 22, using descriptive and inferential statistical tests (Chi-square, dependent and independent t test and McNemar test) at the significance level of P < 0.05.

The rate of constipation and diarrhea decreased after the intervention in the experimental group but the difference was not statistically significant. The rate of nausea and vomiting before and after the intervention was different in both experimental and control group. However, the rate of nausea was significantly lower in the experimental group compared with the control group after the intervention. The rate of reflux reduced before and after the intervention in the experimental group compared with the control group, but the difference not statistically significant compared with the control group after the intervention.

Considering the effectiveness of lifestyle modification in reducing gastrointestinal disorders in patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy, planning to perform this educational intervention is recommended.