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Medical Reasons for Bariatric Surgery

Also known as weight-loss surgery, bariatric surgery uses surgical methods to help morbidly obese individuals experience lose weight. Because the procedure often is performed less for cosmetic reasons and more for a patient's health, there are many instances in which bariatric surgery is a medical necessity in order to ensure the patient lives a longer life.

  1. Defining Morbidly Obese

    • One criteria for bariatric surgery is that a patient must be morbidly obese because morbidly obese patients have many chronic health problems that occur as a result of excess weight. According to the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, morbidly obese is defined as a patient with a body mass index or 40 or higher.

    High Blood Pressure

    • One of the medical conditions associated with obesity is high blood pressure, which also is known as hypertension. Hypertension is what is known as a comorbidity, meaning this condition could lead to death, making the need for bariatric surgery more critical.

    Type 2 Diabetes

    • Also known as adult-onset diabetes, type 2 diabetes can result from excess weight. Bariatric surgery patients who are able to successfully lose weight often are able to free themselves from diabetes medications.

    Heart Disease

    • Morbidly obese patients often have artery walls that are hardened or riddled with arterial plaque that slows blood flow and can eventually block heart valves, causing heart disease. Because this condition can lead to a serious event, such as a heart attack, bariatric surgery may be able to reverse some of the damage previously levied.

    Sleep Apnea

    • Excess weight can cause a sleep disorder known as sleep apnea, where a patient's excess weight can obstruct his airways, causing poor sleep or a person to stop breathing many times throughout the course of a night.

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