Bariatric surgery.
At present, surgery is necessary to counter extreme obesity. The outcomes in bariatric surgery have improved steadily and today most co-morbidities in the massively overweight can be improved or even resolved by surgery. The procedures work in one of two ways; by restricting the patient's ability to eat or by interfering with the ingested nutrient absorption. The operative treatment is in no way cosmetic. Drawbacks to the surgical therapy exist; major life-long rearrangement of the gastrointestinal tract, an operative mortality (<0.5%) and morbidity (about 10%). Surgically induced weight loss is currently the most effective treatment for the severely obese patient.
Sundbom
Magnus
M
Department of Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. magnus.sundbom@surgsci.uu.se
Gustavsson
Sven
S
D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss