While I was not able to attend the ASMBS conference in Orlando earlier this summer, I was offered a unique opportunity by Ethicon Endo-Surgery during the conference — I was able to conduct an interview related to a study conducted by EES and the Obesity Action Coalition.

First, let me admit to a little confusion. When I was first contacted by the folks at Porter Novelli, the firm that handles press for EES, I truly thought someone was going to be interviewing me about my experience on the subject, which was conversations between patients and primary care physicians about obesity and bariatric surgery. It was only a few emails and a day later that I realized that I would be the one conducting the interview. Oops. Blogger fail. Turns out I wasn’t the only one confused about that though… (Melting Mama — Wherein MM Messed Up An Interview Opportunity With EES)

I didn’t receive the press release on the topic until the morning of the interview, and I was given the names of my subjects when my phone rang to connect me to the studio. (Yes, in the future, I should ask for more details up front, but I don’t like to make waves. I’m learning from experience here.) All things considered, it could have gone a whole lot worse, and I filled my allotted five to ten minutes, so I’m marking this down as a win and hoping that EES will want to work with me again.

The study we were discussing was conducted by Harris Interactive and sponsored by Ethicon Endo-Surgery and the Obesity Action Coalition. They surveyed 400 obese adults, 252 adults who had undergone bariatric surgery, and 495 physicians.

One of the surveys most significant findings was that while 80% of obese adults had discussed weight with their health care provider, only 10% of patients who met National Institute of Health guidelines for bariatric surgery had had their doctor recommend it. Nevertheless, 86% of patients who had undergone surgery wished they’d had it sooner. Approximately 50% of doctores felt similarly, wishing they had suggested the surgery to their patients sooner.

However, the doctors surveyed underestimated their patients’ willingness to discuss matters of weight and their receptiveness to discuss possible treatment options, such as bariatric surgery. Doctors felt patients would be too embarrassed to discuss obesity with physicians. However, the survey results suggest that such conversations would have been welcomed by patients.

Among both patients and physicians, the top drawback is the perception that bariatric surgery is dangerous. However, it is important to educate physicians on how minimal these risks really are. When performed at a Center of Excellence, weight loss surgery is as safe or safer than hip replacement, gallbladder removal, and other common surgical procedures.

You can read the full press release here: Patients and PCPs — Survey Press Release.