A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY OF SEXUAL FUNCTIONING, ATTITUDES AND SATISFACTION OF LAPAROSCOPIC BANDING PATIENTS

Purpose: Sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction problems are well known to negatively impact QOL of obese patients. To date little is understood about sexual functioning of patients following WLS. This study is designed to investigate the sexual functioning, attitudes and satisfaction of post-surgical WLS patients, using a cross-sectional design. Methods: Subjects included 44 women who underwent laparoscopic banding surgery (LBS). Subjects had an average age of 44.95 years (20 - 69), and an average post-surgical weight loss of 56.72 pounds (10 - 154). Patients were stratified into (k=3) groups based on time since surgery, 1-6 months, 7-9 months, and e10 months. Subjects completed a self-report medical history checklist to determine current health status (diabetes, osteoarthritis, hypertension, depression, mental disorders). Self-report surveys included Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Body Exposure during Sexual Activities Questionnaire (BSEAQ), and Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI). Group scores for each survey were compared using repeated measure ANOVAs. Bivariate Correlation was used between BIQLI, BSEAQ, FSFI, and Weight Loss to evaluation relationships between variables. Percent of subjects meeting criteria for Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD) was calculated based on published normative values. Subjects were then divided into "no sexual dysfunction" and "sexual dysfunction" based on published normative values. Cross-Tabulation and Fischer's-Exact Test was utilized to compare health status between women with and without sexual dysfunction. Results: There was no difference between time since surgery stratified groups for FSFI, BSEAQ, or BIQLI. There was a significant correlation between BSEAQ and FSFI (r= -0.566, p=.000). No other correlations were significant. In comparison to published normal values, 41% of subjects could be classified as having Female Sexual Arousal Disorder. There was no difference in prevalence of self-reported medical conditions between women with and without sexual dysfunction. Conclusions: A high percentage of post-surgical LBS patients are continuing to experience disturbances in sexual functioning despite a wide range of weight loss or time since surgery. Sexual dysfunction appears strongly related to the extent to which they are focused on a negative body image during sexual activity. These results will contribute to the development of targeted interventions to facilitate improvement in QOL in this population.