As the rates of obesity increase, so do the medical problems caused and exacerbated by this physical state. For many, traditional methods of weight loss have proven ineffective for achieving and maintaining significant weight reduction.
Bariatric surgery (ie, laparoscopic gastric banding, gastric bypass) offers these patients the opportunity to experience significant weight loss that can be maintained. The number of obese patients seeking bariatric surgery is steadily rising. But, unlike traditional diets for which risks are low and discontinuation can occur at any time, bariatric surgery has inherent risks and requires highly restrictive, long-term behavioral changes afterwards. Therefore, these patients typically are required to complete a thorough evaluation, including psychological assessment, to determine their appropriateness for surgery.