Why Consider Surgery

Surgery is rarely the first thought for those seeking treatment for the problem of obesity.  This makes sense, because folks always ought to do all they can with the old standards of diet and exercise before moving on to choose interventional therapy such as surgery.  However contrary to common perception, surgery usually should not be held back until a person is "near unto death" from the weight.  It turns out that surgery for obesity is very often appropriate to improve health and save life for people who are not all that old or all that ill, once they have exhausted non-surgical treatment plans.

The rationale for bariatric surgery in properly educated, motivated, and prepared patients goes like this:

1. Serious obesity causes major medical stress and damage to body organ systems. It has been statistically proven that when a person reaches a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30, they have an increased risk of major medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer. Obesity causes health problems and shortens life. Read more about the medical impact of obesity.
2. There is no treatment other than surgery that provides a decent chance of substantial and sustained weight loss. Almost everyone has lost weight with diet, exercise, or some other non-surgical treatment. However, once a person reaches a BMI > 40 (usually about 100 pounds overweight), they have more than a 95% chance of regaining any weight that has been lost unless there is surgical support. Current medical understanding indicates that this regain is caused by the biology of obesity, and not because the obese person lacks intelligence or “moral fiber.”
3. Bariatric surgery is effective. Several surgical procedures help create substantial and sustained weight loss. The weight loss does actually result in improved health and longer life. Read more about the weight loss outcomes of surgery and the health improvements after bariatric surgery by visiting our Knowledge Bank.
4. Bariatric surgery is reasonably safe. Of course any surgery that is done in a person who suffers from morbid obesity will have risk. The thing to remember is that the alternative, which is to continue living with the weight and the damage it causes, usually carries much greater risk than the surgery.
5. Bariatric surgery is cost effective. On average, it takes 3-5 years for a bariatric surgical procedure to “break even” on the initial costs by reducing ongoing costs of healthcare. This shows up through lower medication costs, fewer doctor visits, less need for procedures such as knee joint replacement, etc.

There is a more complete and medically oriented description of the rationale for bariatric surgery on the website for our national organization, which is called the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. www.ASMBS.org.