PURPOSE/RATIONALE: The national average rate of bariatric surgery continues to increase as the mean length of hospital stay decreases. The purpose of this study was to examine bariatric patients' wound care knowledge and concerns about discharge home after surgery. METHODOLOGY: This was a descriptive prospective study; 31 patients had undergone open micropouch gastric bypass Roux-en-Y (n = 29) or laproscopic micropouch Roux-en-Y (n = 2) during the current hospitalization. A questionnaire was developed and read to participants. It included demographic information, perception of preparation to care for the surgical incision at home, discharge concerns, and pain rating. RESULTS: Participants were primarily female (n = 28), African-American (n = 17), with post-high school education (n = 20), and a mean age of 45 years. Knowledge of wound care and amount of information received about wound care were rated low. The five greatest concerns were: having bowel trouble at home, having wound pain at home, looking for wound complications, watching for wound infection, and how active I can be. The higher the information received about wound care, the higher the patient's knowledge (r = .57, p < .001). The lower the person's knowledge about wound care, the higher the fear of wound care (r = .46, p = .008). Patients reporting greater pain had more concern about discharge (r = .49, p < .005). CONCLUSIONS: Little is known about the preparation of the bariatric surgery patient for discharge home. Discharge teaching influenced patients' knowledge and their fear. Concerns were similar to those reported by other post-operative patients. Nurses need to examine creative ways to provide post-operative teaching with shortened hospital stays. This study needs to be replicated with a larger sample. In addition, research is needed that examines teaching methods, information, and timing for persons undergoing bariatric surgery.