Bariatric Surgery: Outcomes and Follow-Up

Abstract

Nowadays, obesity is a very important public health problem due to its related comorbidities. Majortreatment modalities include lifestyle modifiation, diet, and medical and surgical treatments. Bariatricsurgery is the most successful treatment modality in obesity treatment. Owing to its ability to achieveweight loss and improve comorbidities accompanying obesity, it is now focused on metabolic controlrather than weight loss. When choosing an operation method, the purpose of the surgery (weight lossand/or metabolic control) should be decided by taking into account the experience of the surgeonand the center, patient preference, and individual risk assessment results. In the past two decades,complication rates have gradually decreased because of the development of minimally invasive methods, increased experience, and adoption of a multidisciplinary approach in bariatric surgery. However,there are still complications requiring reoperation and hospitalization. Patients should be informedabout the operation and postoperative diet and follow-up, realistic weight loss goals should be targeted, and operation and postoperative patient follow-up should be performed in experienced centers.