Weight Loss Surgery

Obesity in India is defined as body mass index [BMI: Weight (kg)/ Height (m)2] more than 27.5 kg/m2 (normal BMI is between 18 to 23 kg/m2) and people with BMI more than 32.5 kg/m2 and 37.5 kg/m2 are defined as severely obese and morbidly obese respectively. Obesity is a chronic disease with accumulation of excessive body fat and subsequent risk for development of medical conditions like diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), degenerative joint disease, hyperlipidemia (HPL), hyperuricemia, fatty liver, depression, polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) and asthma to name a few. Thus obesity adversely affects all the organs and lead to the constellation of symptoms referred to as Metabolic Syndrome of Obesity. People with morbid obesity (BMI > 37.5 kg/m2) have 50% to 100% higher mortality rates. There is also an emotional effect of obesity where an obese patient suffers neglect from society and thus are prone to developmental symptoms like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. So Bariatric surgery or weight loss surgery or metabolic surgery is a lifestyle modification surgery which not only reduces weight but through its hormonal effect it cures/ controls the medical conditions associated with it. Its effect on glucose control and other metabolic problems is striking, which can be seen soon after the procedure and even before there is a significant reduction in weight.