Assessing the Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Quality of Life in the Saudi Population: A Systematic Review

Obesity, a global pandemic, has a profound adverse impact on health and quality of life (QoL). Therefore, bariatric surgery is the best way to lose weight in the long term and enhance QoL in Saudi Arabia. The data comprising 15 articles related to QoL following bariatric surgery among Saudi people were obtained through the search of databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. The included studies provided data regarding the assessment of QoL via different tools, such as the impact of weight on quality of life (IWQOL-Lite), the Moorehead Ardelt quality of life questionnaire II (MA QoLQII), and the Short Form-36 questions (SF-36) in patients who had undergone bariatric procedures of any type. There was a significant improvement in parameters relevant to obesity, including weight, body mass index (BMI), triglycerides, blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C), and cholesterol, in post-bariatric participants. The weight decreased from 126.38 ± 24.97 kg to 81.41 ± 20.87 kg, and the BMI reduced from 45.78 ± 7.73 kg/m² to 30.56 ± 7.53 kg/m² in pre- and post-bariatric patients, respectively. The QoL score was higher after surgery, ie, 77.7 ± 15.3, compared to before treatment, ie, 58 ± 16.7. Increased weight loss and bariatric procedures contributed to better QoL among obese people in Saudi Arabia.