[How I treat ... an individual with severe obesity and metabolic abnormalities with gastroplasty]

Severe obesity, defined as a body mass index > or = 35 kg/m2, is frequently associated with various biological abnormalities, particularly in the presence of intra-abdominal adiposity. The most important disorders belong to the so-called insulin resistance syndrome, metabolic syndrome or syndrome X: hyperinsulinaemia, impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemias, hyperuricaemia, hyperfibrinogenaemia. All these metabolic abnormalities are considered as cardiovascular risk factors. They are also correlated with the severity of the liver steatosis which is commonly observed in individuals with severe obesity. We report our experience of the evolution of these metabolic abnormalities after a marked weight loss induced by gastroplasty. We will analyse the favourable effects of bariatric surgery on insulin sensitivity, biological components of the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and liver steatosis.