[Interpretation for indications of metabolic and bariatric surgery released by ASMBS and IFSO in 2022]

With the increasing number of obese patients worldwide, metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) has quickly become an effective way to treat obesity and related metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, lipid abnormalities, etc. Although MBS has become an important part of general surgery, there is still controversy regarding the indications for MBS. In 1991, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a statement on the surgical treatment of severe obesity and other related issues, which continues to be the standard for insurance companies, health care systems, and hospital selection of patients. The standard no longer reflects the best practice data and lacks relevance to today's modern surgeries and patient populations. After 31 years, in October 2022, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), the world's leading authorities on weight loss and metabolic surgery, jointly released new guidelines for MBS indications, based on increasing awareness of obesity and its comorbidities and the accumulation of evidence of obesity metabolic diseases. In a series of recommendations, the eligibility of patients for bariatric surgery has been expanded. Specific key updates include the following: (1) MBS is recommended for individuals with BMI≥35 kg/m², regardless of the presence, absence, or severity of co-morbidities; (2) MBS should be considered for individuals with metabolic diseases and BMI 30.0-34.9 kg/m²; (3) the BMI threshold should be adjusted for the Asian population:: BMI≥25 kg/m² suggest clinical obesity, and BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m² population should consider MBS; (4) Appropriately selected children and adolescents should be considered for MBS.