Bariatric Surgery: What the Rheumatologist Needs to Know

A staggering 76 million adults are obese in the United States. It is known that obesity contributes to increased incidence and worse disease outcomes in many rheumatic conditions. Bariatric surgery has emerged as the most effective treatment modality for the morbidly obese, leading to substantial and sustained weight loss. The purpose of this review article is to summarize the findings of studies investigating the effect of substantial weight loss achieved through bariatric surgery on rheumatic disease and outcomes. Second, with an increasing number of patients undergoing bariatric surgery, it is important for the rheumatologist to have a basic understanding of the commonly performed bariatric procedures and to be aware of important nutritional deficiencies and medication restrictions that apply to this patient population.