Are In-Person Post-operative Clinic Visits Necessary to Detect Complications Among Bariatric Surgery Patients?

Patients undergoing bariatric surgery are expected to have frequent post-surgical follow-up. With the increased utilization of telemedicine across different surgical specialties, we are considering replacing the in-person post-surgery visits with telemedicine video visits in our bariatric practice. However, the safety and efficacy of conducting these visits through telemedicine is still unknown. Due to the concern of missing complications by eliminating in-person assessments, we reviewed 30-day complications, their severity, and the context of their detection experienced by bariatric surgical patients at our institution. Our results suggest that the majority of complications are detected when patients seek medical care rather than during clinic visits. Therefore, telemedicine is likely safe for 30-day follow-up in bariatric patients. Further studies are needed to assess its effect on patient compliance and outcomes.