Overview

Weight-loss (bariatric) surgery is a lifesaving and life-changing treatment for severely obese patients who have not had success with traditional, medically supervised weight-loss strategies such as diet modification, exercise, and/or medication. It works by physically restricting the amount of food patients can eat and/or by interrupting the digestive process. It does not remove fatty tissue.

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Severe obesity, commonly defined as weight that is at least 100 pounds more than the ideal for age and height, is the second-leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Some 18 million people in the United States suffer from it. With this condition sharply on the rise in the United States, the number of weight-loss procedures has also jumped, from 16,000 in the early 1990s to 180,000 in 2005, according to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.

This module explains when bariatric surgery might be appropriate, what is involved in the procedure, and what to expect immediately after the surgery and in the long term.

1. What is bariatric surgery?

2. Who qualifies for bariatric surgery?

3. What are the benefits of bariatric surgery?

4. What are the risks of bariatric surgery?

5. What can patients expect after bariatric surgery?

6. What will my long-term diet be like after bariatric surgery?

7. What are the costs and insurance coverage for bariatric surgery?