Role and Mechanisms of Obesity Surgery - Physical Activity and Other Predictors of Hospital Stay, Recovery and Complications After Obesity Surgery

The purpose of this study is to examine how physical activity and lifestyle factors influence postoperative recovery and postoperative complications after bariatric surgery.

The hypothesis is that physically active people, with a healthy alcohol consumption and non smokers have shorter lengths of hospital stay, shorter sick-leave, fewer re-hospitalizations and fewer re-operations, fewer complications as well as a faster recovery after a surgical procedure.

The investigators also hypothesize that possible risk factors for non-surgical postoperative complications e g abdominal discomfort are also life-style related factors such as smoking, high alcohol consumption, low level of physical activity, as well as other risk factors such as prior frequent abdominal pains (e g irritable bowel syndrome symptoms), high levels of anxiety and/or depression, difficulties with coping with the changed food intake regimen after obesity surgery, and generally high sensitivity for painful-sensations and nausea.

First aim of this study is to investigate how life style factors prior to obesity surgery are related to hospital stay, sick-leave, immediate postoperative complication rates and the rate of resumption of QoL and normal physical function.

The second aim of the study is to identify risk factors for the development of chronic abdominal discomfort and dumping symptoms after obesity surgery.