Consultation-Liaison Case Conference: Psychiatric Care of Patients Who Undergo Bariatric Surgery

We present the case of a 42-year-old female with major depressive disorder who received a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and subsequently decompensated in her depres-sion symptoms and began newly engaging in problematic alcohol use. Top experts in the consultation-liaison field, specifically bariatric surgery psychiatry, provide guid-ance for this commonly encountered clinical case based on their experience and a review of the available litera-ture. Key teaching points include the presurgical psy-chosocial assessment, pertinent perioperative psychopharmacology, and problematic alcohol use after bariatric surgery. (Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry 2023; 64:267-276)

Automated summary

This article presents a case study of a 42-year-old female with major depressive disorder who experienced worsening depression symptoms and problematic alcohol use after undergoing a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Top experts in the field of consultation-liaison psychiatry, specifically bariatric surgery psychiatry, provide guidance based on their experience and a review of the literature. Key teaching points include the importance of preoperative psychosocial assessment, perioperative psychopharmacology, and addressing alcohol use issues post-bariatric surgery.