ABSTRACT
Bariatric (from baros, the Greek word meaning “weight” and iatrikos, meaning “art of healing”) surgery involves reducing the capacity of the stomach or the absorption of food by means of one of several procedures. Edward E. Mason, MD, and C. Ito, MD, of the University of Iowa,1 first performed gastric bypass in the 1960s. In 2003, an estimated 100,000 people had bariatric surgery, and the number exceeded 200,000 in 2004. Of all American adults, 6 to 10 percent are considered to be morbidly obese, having a body mass index (BMI) greater than forty. Bariatric surgery is usually limited to people in this category, unless they also have major, lifethreatening diseases (comorbidity factors), such as poorly controlled hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, severe heart or lung problems, or obstructive sleep apnea. Patients with these complicating medical conditions are usually eligible for bariatric surgery when their BMIs are in the range of 35-40.
