Who is a candidate for weight loss surgery?

Current indications in bariatric surgery,

• Body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg / m2 or more
• BMI more than 35 kg / m2 and at least one comorbid condition associated with obesity. These accompanying conditions can be diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, fatty liver, joint diseases, high cholesterol.
• New clinical practice guidelines published by the American Society of Clinical Endocrinologists, the Obesity Association and the American Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Association stated that the surgery may also be suitable for patients with a body mass index greater than 30 kg / m2 for those with uncontrolled diabetes.

Patients who meet these criteria and wish to undergo bariatric surgery are usually evaluated by a team of dieticians, a psychologist, an internist and a surgical physician to determine if the patient is a viable candidate for surgery.

Exclusion criteria for bariatric surgery are used to protect patients from risks that may be greater than potential benefits. These criteria include treatable diseases that can cause obesity, ongoing drug or alcohol addiction, untreated eating disorders, poorly controlled or severe psychiatric diseases, portal hypertension, advanced cancer,and current pregnancy.

Each procedure also has its own contraindications. For example, adjustable gastric band is contraindicated for patients who use steroids for a long time or who have chronic inflammatory diseases (eg. Crohn's disease, chronic pancreatitis). Sleeve gastrectomy is contraindicated for patients with Barrett's esophagus and severe gastroesophageal reflux disease. Roux Y Gastric bypass and Duodenal Switch are relatively contraindicated for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. It should be noted that as the field of bariatric surgery develops, absolute contraindications may become indistinguishable from standard patients. Age is an example. While bariatric surgery is contraindicated for patients older than 60 and under 18, many health centers today consider the functional age of the patient rather than just the chronological age. The results of the study showed that the quality of life improved with obesity surgery over the age of 65 and under 18.