[Severe obesity: its surgical treatment in 120 patients. The results and a prospective focus]

Severe or morbid obesity (M.O.) is a pathological state which is very difficult to treat by non-surgical means. It is defined internationally on the basis of anthropometric measurements when a body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m2 is exceeded. In such cases, the pathological increase in body fat influences patient mortality and morbidity. The present state of bariatric surgery is reviewed in the series presented. The guidelines are submitted which are currently used as an approach to surgery, and the reasons are set out used by the authors, on the base of 5 years' experience and more than 110 patients operated on (ringed vertical gastroplasty-RVG, inflatable silicone gastric band, Salmon's technique) in a prospective approach to new surgical projects. The series presented is divided into two groups. It is shown that not all the severely obese (SMO) (BMI > 50 kg/m2) respond adequately to a simple restrictive technique (RVG) notwithstanding very considerable weight loss. Other techniques are currently under consideration for this group. It is concluded that bariatric surgery demonstrates effective and permanent results if the right technique is used on the patient selected.