Impact of Telemedicine on Post-Bariatric Surgery Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Observational Study

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for patients and healthcare providers, especially for those working with obesity and related health problems. E-health has emerged as a crucial tool for the follow-up of users undergoing bariatric surgery during this period, allowing remote monitoring of users' health status and providing access to virtual consultation with health professionals. This study aims to analyze the impact of the use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic on the results of bariatric surgery, surgical safety outcomes and user satisfaction with this follow-up. METHOD: this is an observational study with retrospective data collection. The variables were divided into several groups: health data and associated comorbidities, surgical safety and satisfaction with telemedicine monitoring. RESULTS: Surgery significantly affected weight loss, in general there is a 75% loss of excess weight. Comorbidities were reversed over time, with 50% of subjects maintaining excellent levels. Most users were satisfied with the monitoring and surgical outcomes are not significant. CONCLUSIONS: The follow-up assured by telemedicine did not modify the results of bariatric surgery, which may allow us to infer that it may be an option to consider for regular monitoring of the post-bariatric surgery process.