The role of surgery in the management of obesity related conditions including diabetes is now established.  The emerging data sets demonstrate excellent weight loss and diabetic control following surgery and to that end, this form of surgery is now referred to as metabolic surgery. 

The modern “bariatric surgeon” however does not suggest that surgery is performed in the place of lifestyle modifications and in the place of medical management.  Surgery is simply yet another tool to be used by a multidisciplinary team.  Surgery cannot be considered a single treatment event.

Surgical outcomes following primary obesity and metabolic surgery demonstrate very low post-operative morbidity and thankfully even lower mortality rates.  Percentage body weight loss is expected to be 20-30% (50-70% excess weight loss).  I will also outline the various outcomes for the specific procedures: adjustable gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass.