ABSTRACT
In this study, the authors examined health-related quality of life in severely obese patients prior to and following biliopancreatic diversion (BPD). They evaluated quality of life (QoL) by using the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life (IWQOL), a 74-item self-report questionnaire that assesses the QoL in physical and mental areas and the comfort with food. The questionnaire was administered to 50 obese patients prior to and at 1 year following BPD, to 150 postobese subjects at 3 years following BPD, and to 50 lean controls. At 1 year after the operation, the authors found a sharp improvement toward normality in the QoL, and the cross-sectional findings suggest that this result was maintained in the long term. Following BPD, patients' weight loss and long-term maintenance are accompanied by overall beneficial effects on their QoL.
