The Role of Nursing in Enhancing Self-Care After Bariatric Surgery

This extensive narrative review explores the pivotal role of nursing in enhancing self-care behaviors among patients undergoing bariatric surgery, particularly sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. While bariatric surgery remains the most effective long-term intervention for morbid obesity, its success is highly dependent on sustained patient engagement in complex self-care practices. Nurses play a central role through structured education, continuous monitoring, behavioral counseling, and psychosocial support. A comprehensive review of studies published between ۲۰۱۵ and ۲۰۲۴ was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The findings demonstrate that nursing-led interventions significantly improve dietary adherence, physical activity, prevention of nutritional deficiencies, management of postoperative complications, psychological adjustment, and overall quality of life. Integrating theory-based nursing self-care models into bariatric services is essential for optimizing long-term surgical outcomes and ensuring patient safety.

Keywords:

Bariatric surgery , Self-care , Nursing care , Sleeve gastrectomy , Gastric bypass , Obesity