Abstract
AIM: To explore the value and effectiveness of continuous nursing in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. METHODS: A total of 164 obese patients who were admitted to Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital and underwent planned laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in 2022 were retrospectively selected as the control group, and another 164 obese patients undergoing the same surgery in 2022 were chosen as the research group. The control group received routine care, while the research group received continuous nursing care. Comparisons were made between the two groups regarding the patient's body weight, fasting blood glucose levels, dietary habits, exercise and rest compliance, anxiety and depression status, quality of life and sleep, postoperative complications, and satisfaction. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the research group showed significant decreases in the patient's body weight, body mass index (BMI), and fasting blood glucose levels, with a significant increase in excess weight loss percentage (%EWL) (all P<0.05). Dietary, exercise, and rest compliance were significantly higher in the research group than those in the control group (all P<0.05). Additionally, patients in the research group scored higher in dimensions such as physical function, general health, social function, emotional role, and mental health compared to the control group (all P<0.05). The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was significantly lower in the research group than that in the control group (P<0.05). The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores were significantly lower in the research group than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The complication rate in the research group was significantly lower than that in the control group (all P<0.05). Patient satisfaction with outpatient continuous nursing care was significantly higher in the research group than that in the control group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Continuous care applied following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy significantly improves patients' body weight, BMI, and %EWL. It can also effectively reduce fasting blood sugar levels and improve overall quality of life. Additionally, continuous care significantly enhances patients' compliance with dietary, exercise, and rest recommendations, thereby leading to a significant decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms, and an improvement in patient satisfaction and sleep quality.