11/01/2007 By Obesity Care News: November 2007 Volume 1, Page 6
Bariatric surgery is currently the only treatment know to succeed in meaningful sustainable weight loss in the morbidly obese – a population that is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. Surgery is most effective when combined with dietary and behavioral modifications. Bariatric procedures, however, are complex operations performed in high risk patients. Perioperative complications may be decreased and long-term outcomes improved by preoperative preparation, such as psychological evaluation and preoperative weight loss. The psychological evaluation can be an opportunity to address the unrealistic weight-loss expectations, and to reinforce a more reasonable outlook. Some experts advocate that preoperative weight loss encourages a mindset of proper diet control that, in the long run, might result in letter long term excess weight loss and body mass index change that surgery alone.
