Abstract:

Obesity is defined as a body mass index greater or equal to 30, nowadays it is considered an epidemic. Numerous efforts have been carried on in order to define treatments that will effectively reduce the prevalence and complications of this condition. Bariatric surgery came to mark the beginning to a new era in this field; it demonstrated a reduction in morbi-mortality in patients with obesity. It has proven to induce remission in patients with diabetes, to improve NAFLD, NASH and GERD, and to be associated to a definite cardiovascular benefit. The main purpose of this article is to discuss the impact that bariatric surgery has over these comorbidities as well as on mortality. Surgical techniques, complications, and selection criteria are also addressed with the objective of defining which patients will benefit from this intervention.

Key words:  Bariatric Surgery; Bariatric Medicine; mortality; obesity; therapy; complications.