KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF NIGERIAN GENERAL SURGEONS TOWARDS BARIATRIC SURGERY: A CROSS- SECTIONAL SURVEY.  agbaje1@gmail.com

 

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF NIGERIAN GENERAL SURGEONS TOWARDS BARIATRIC SURGERY: A CROSS- SECTIONAL SURVEY. 

3

Nigeria

Poster with Discussion

Bariatric surgery is recognised globally as an effective intervention for morbid obesity and its associated comorbidities. However, in many low- and middle- income countries, including Nigeria, its uptake remains low. The knowledge and perception of general surgeons play a key role in its adoption. This study assesses the knowledge and attitude of Nigerian general surgeons towards bariatric surgery.

A Cross Sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among general Surgeons across Nigeria. The structured questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, knowledge of bariatric surgery, exposure to training and attitude towards its practice. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS version 27.

A total of 105 responses were obtained. Majority (64.8%) were senior registrars with majority (44.67%) having more than 4 years of experience. While 97.2% were able to identify at least one bariatric procedure and 95.2% were able to recognise that BMI> 40kg/m2 is an indication, hands-on experience was low as only 24.7% have participated in a bariatric procedure. Attitude was generally positive with 88.6% expressing interest in bariatric surgery training and 71.4% of respondents of the opinion that bariatric surgery was feasible even though majority (49.2%) perceive the demand for it to be low. An overwhelming majority, 99.3%, believe bariatric training should be included in the residency training curriculum. Barriers identified included limited infrastructure (98%), lack of training (84.7%), and low patient awareness (91%).

This implies a need for provision of infrastructure and structured training in bariatric surgery with integration into the residency program.