Background: The authors studied whether playing a taped cognitive-behavior message during and immediately following bariatric surgery will improve performance of a postoperative regimen designed to enhance recovery.
Methods: The double-blinded placebo-controlled study consisted of 27 morbidly obese bariatric surgical patients randomly assigned to listen to either a blank (Controls) or a positive therapeutic message audiotape (Tape). A Postoperative Regimen Checklist (PRC) quantified different parts of the postoperative recovery regimen.
Results: The data showed that patients in the Tape group, compared to the Controls: 1) achieved better scores at most PRC assessment points (p < 0.05), 2) required less encouragement to perform tasks (p < 0.05), and 3) were discharged from the hospital a mean of 1.6 days earlier.
Conclusions: A taped cognitive-behavioral message, played to patients repetitively during and immediately following bariatric surgery, is effective in enhancing postoperative compliance and reducing in-patient length of stay.