Peer Reviewed
Perspectives

Bariatric surgery: positive and negative effects

Eddy J Tabet, Ian D Caterson, Tania P Markovic
Abstract

Bariatric surgery is now recognised as a legitimate treatment for obesity. Knowledge of its key long-term outcomes, such as durability of weight loss, remission of obesity-related comorbidities and surgical complications, has grown exponentially in recent years. Further insights into the physiological mechanisms underlying outcomes will drive more effective and less invasive techniques that can be individualised to a patient’s needs.

Key Points
  • Weight loss surgery now has long-term data supporting its efficacy and safety in the treatment of obesity.
  • Bariatric surgery produces sustained weight loss, leading to remission of type 2 diabetes, reduction in mortality and improvement in many cardiac risk factors.
  • Physicians should be familiar with the acute and chronic complications of the widely performed bariatric procedures.
  • Postoperative nutritional status and psychological wellbeing need to be monitored carefully in patients who undergo bariatric surgery.

    Picture credit: © BSIP RF/Diomedia.com

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