Objective: To know the perception of patients who expect the performance of bariatric surgery on perioperative education.Methods: Exploratory study performed with patients from the preoperative period of bariatric surgery in a reference institution in the realization of the surgical procedure by the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) in the State of Ceará, Brazil, in January 2019, through a focal group.Results: Five categories related to the perception of the subjects about the perioperative education were identified: “Imagining what life will be like after the bariatric surgery”; “Fear and anxiety with the performance of bariatric surgery”; “Preoperative preparation and follow-up in the health service”; “Resolution of doubts during the preoperative preparation” and “Main doubts of those who are still in the preoperative”.Conclusions: It was evident that the participants recognized the importance of the preoperative follow-up of bariatric surgery, highlighted as beneficial the occurrence of educational strategies in this period for the acquisition of knowledge and resolution of doubts, especially about the surgical procedure and postoperative care.