A qualitative exploration of couples’ expectations and experiences of adjusting to changes following metabolic and bariatric surgery
A qualitative exploration of couples’ expectations and experiences of adjusting to changes following metabolic and bariatric surgery
Purpose: although metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is an effective weight loss treatment, patients can find it difficult to adjust to changes post-surgery. To-date, there has been limited research into patients’ and partners’ experiences of managing this journey. This qualitative study explored couples’ expectations and experiences of change, where one individual within the couple had undergone MBS.
Materials and methods: potential participants were identified by staff within a National Health Service (NHS) Bariatric Service. Sixteen semi-structured joint interviews were conducted, with patients and partners interviewed together (N = 32). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results: five themes were identified around; (1) ‘the patients’ decision to have MBS’, including being determined despite others’ concerns; (2) ‘the importance of feeling supported’, which highlighted that partners felt overlooked; (3) ‘learning to eat again’, encompassing patients and partners adjusting to physical changes following surgery; (4) ‘Improved health and quality of life’ and acknowledging the importance of maintaining changes and avoiding complacency; (5) changes to ‘confidence and body image’, including managing unforeseen disappointments following initial expectations of surgery.
Conclusion: couples discussed how pre-surgery goals often required reappraising after surgery and that partners played a key role in supporting patients in adjusting to necessary physical, social and psychological changes before, during, and after surgery. This suggests that more holistic support is needed to reduce the risk of expectations being misaligned with the changes experienced after MBS, including providing support to important others who can help enhance patient adjustment.
Couples, Joint interviews, Metabolic and bariatric surgery, Qualitative research, Thematic analysis
326-333
Rowell, Katherine
cfa60e93-291b-45e6-92c3-2790a0cbc0be
Cant, Lisa
f4971c92-c2b8-4922-b98f-c36ca6a98d0f
Brignell, Catherine m.
ec44ecae-8687-4bbb-bc81-8c2c8f27febd
Sivyer, Katy
c9831d57-7d6b-4bb6-bb3c-770ea7f9b116
25 August 2025
Rowell, Katherine
cfa60e93-291b-45e6-92c3-2790a0cbc0be
Cant, Lisa
f4971c92-c2b8-4922-b98f-c36ca6a98d0f
Brignell, Catherine m.
ec44ecae-8687-4bbb-bc81-8c2c8f27febd
Sivyer, Katy
c9831d57-7d6b-4bb6-bb3c-770ea7f9b116
Rowell, Katherine, Cant, Lisa, Brignell, Catherine m. and Sivyer, Katy
(2025)
A qualitative exploration of couples’ expectations and experiences of adjusting to changes following metabolic and bariatric surgery.
Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, 19 (4), .
(doi:10.1016/j.orcp.2025.06.001).
Abstract
Purpose: although metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is an effective weight loss treatment, patients can find it difficult to adjust to changes post-surgery. To-date, there has been limited research into patients’ and partners’ experiences of managing this journey. This qualitative study explored couples’ expectations and experiences of change, where one individual within the couple had undergone MBS.
Materials and methods: potential participants were identified by staff within a National Health Service (NHS) Bariatric Service. Sixteen semi-structured joint interviews were conducted, with patients and partners interviewed together (N = 32). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results: five themes were identified around; (1) ‘the patients’ decision to have MBS’, including being determined despite others’ concerns; (2) ‘the importance of feeling supported’, which highlighted that partners felt overlooked; (3) ‘learning to eat again’, encompassing patients and partners adjusting to physical changes following surgery; (4) ‘Improved health and quality of life’ and acknowledging the importance of maintaining changes and avoiding complacency; (5) changes to ‘confidence and body image’, including managing unforeseen disappointments following initial expectations of surgery.
Conclusion: couples discussed how pre-surgery goals often required reappraising after surgery and that partners played a key role in supporting patients in adjusting to necessary physical, social and psychological changes before, during, and after surgery. This suggests that more holistic support is needed to reduce the risk of expectations being misaligned with the changes experienced after MBS, including providing support to important others who can help enhance patient adjustment.
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KR A qualitative exploration of couples
- Accepted Manuscript
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1-s2.0-S1871403X25000857-main
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 8 June 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 16 July 2025
Published date: 25 August 2025
Keywords:
Couples, Joint interviews, Metabolic and bariatric surgery, Qualitative research, Thematic analysis
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 505596
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/505596
ISSN: 1871-403X
PURE UUID: 8fa71b9f-f84d-42aa-ba97-52d27808b8e8
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Date deposited: 14 Oct 2025 16:48
Last modified: 15 Oct 2025 01:53
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Author:
Katherine Rowell
Author:
Lisa Cant
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