Bariatric-metabolic surgery: A guide for the primary care physician

Bariatric-metabolic surgery has emerged as an attractive option that offers significant and durable weight loss in the treatment of clinically severe obesity. Given the high prevalence of obesity, and growing numbers of bariatric-metabolic surgeries performed, primary care physicians increasingly encounter patients who have had, or are considering, bariatric-metabolic surgery.

The aim of this article is to provide guidance on common issues pertaining to bariatric-metabolic surgery that general practitioners (GPs) face, including patient selection, preoperative work-up, acute and long-term complications following the surgery, and long-term lifestyle and nutritional support.

In properly selected patients with clinically severe obesity, there is clear net benefit in terms of improved health outcomes and reduced mortality following bariatric-metabolic surgery. Similarly to other chronic conditions, GPs play a crucial role in the management of obesity, and in the multidisciplinary, long-term postoperative support and monitoring that is important for optimal outcomes after surgery.