Bariatric Surgery

Lee, Joo Ho

Abstract

Current evidence suggests that only bariatric surgery results in durable and substantial weight loss with resolve various comorbid medical conditions, improve quality of life, and prolong survival for patients with morbid obesity. Demand for bariatric surgery is increasing worldwide at an exponential rate. With rapid rise of morbidly obese patients, introduction of laparoscopy, use of mass media and internet to convey information to public, coverage of medical insurance might contribute to the Bariatric revolution. Bariatric surgery involve either restrictive of caloric intake or malabsorption of nutrients, or both. Bariatric surgery would bring about neurohormonal changes that affect satiety and glucose homeostasis as well. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, biliopancreatic diversion with/without duodenal switch, and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy are the most commonly performed procedures at present. Each procedure has its advantages and disadvantages and any operative procedure cannot be thought to be predominant over another. We hope more effective, safer, and durable operative method to be developed. The author intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the current status of bariatric surgery.