Obesity is a major risk factor for many diseases and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Recent evidence has demonstrated that bariatric surgery is the only modality that provides a significant, sustained weight loss for morbidly obese patients, with resultant improvement in obesity-related comorbidities. However, there are several things to consider before scheduling the bariatric surgery.
Patients with body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35 with other health debilitating conditions such as diabetes, most often opt and qualify for bariatric surgery. Although these procedures provide several advantages to obese patients at high risk of comorbid complications, patients and healthcare providers should discuss which surgery is most appropriate, considering the patient-specific characteristics and treatment goals. Following are the 5 most important things…
