Surgery for morbid obesity. Selecting the patient and procedure

Every physician strives for a treatment that is 100% effective. Although operations for morbid obesity are not perfect, their 80% success rate in helping patients maintain a loss of at least 20% of their original weight is far better than the less-than-10% success rate of nonsurgical treatments. Of the procedures available, intestinal bypass should be avoided, as side effects are numerous. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is generally successful, as is banded gastroplasty. Surgical candidates need to be selected carefully, and patients must be educated to stay involved in treatment, that is, "use" their operation to ensure a successful outcome.