Bariatric surgery (from the Greek words “baros,” meaning “weight,” and “iatrikos,” meaning “medicine”) is the term for a surgery that is done to help you lose weight. Bariatric surgery is not recommended for everyone who is overweight or obese.However, it may be an option if you are obese and have not been able to lose weight with other methods.
Two types of surgical procedures used to promote weight loss are:
Am I a Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?
You may be a candidate for weight loss surgery if you have:
Is Weight Loss Surgery for You?
Bariatric weight loss surgery may be the next step for people who remain severely obese after trying nonsurgical approaches, or for people who have an obesity-related disease. Surgery to produce quick weight loss is a serious undertaking. Anyone thinking about undergoing this type of weight loss surgery should understand what it involves. Answers to the following questions may help you decide whether weight loss surgery is right for you.
Are you:
Remember: There are no guarantees for any method, including surgery, to produce rapid weight loss and maintain it. Success with weight loss surgery is possible only with maximum cooperation and commitment to behavioral change and medical follow-up and this cooperation and commitment must be carried out for the rest of your life.
A decision to have bariatric surgery is very personal and very important. It will change your life in an irreversible way for the most part, not just because of the quick weight loss it produces. Being careful with a decision like this is the right thing to do. You should research the various weight loss surgeries and the various surgeons. Then you and the surgeon should, together, agree that weight loss surgery is the best choice you can make.