People who have bariatric surgery should receive a follow-up care package for at least two years, including psychological support and help to increase physical activity.
This is one of the recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), in a quality standard published on 4 August.
The document is aimed at commissioners and sets out a series of standards on the clinical assessment and management of obesity in children, young people and adults.
It states that poor follow-up care after bariatric surgery can lead to weight regain, depression, nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, anaemia and death.
As a result NICE suggests that bariatric surgery services should provide follow-up care that includes
- specialist physical activity
- psychological screening
- dietary advice
CSP professional adviser Priya Dasoju told Frontline: ‘The CSP welcomes this standard and believes physiotherapy staff have a key role in delivering on the recommendations, in particular providing lifestyle and physical activity advice.’
Author: Robert Millett
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