What is Bariatric Surgery?
Bariatric Surgery is the surgical treatment for obesity. The word Bariatric comes from the Greek word baros, which means weight and from the word iaterin, which means treatment.
Which is the Treatment for Obesity and Who is a Candidate for Bariatric Surgery?
Medical treatment, a balanced diet, and exercise are a great tool for the treatment of obesity. Nevertheless, it has been observed that patients who are treated only by these means have an unsatisfactory weight loss and have a tendency to regain all the weight that was lost.
In some cases the physician may recommend the use of a drug if the BMI is greater than 30 Kg/m2 or when the BMI is greater than 27 Kg/m2 and there are comorbidities (related diseases) present. The drugs must be used as an integrated approach to the treatment of the patient.
The criterion to evaluate if a person is a candidate for Bariatric Surgery is based on the persons Body Mass Index (BMI). Therefore the person is a candidate if his or her BMI is equal to or greater than 40 Kg/m2 or if the BMI is between 35 and 40 Kg/m2 and has the presence of related diseases (comorbidities).