Bariatric surgery is carried out almost exclusively using keyhole techniques such as laparoscopic surgery or other reversible procedures such as gastric bands and gastric by-pass.
Other non-reversible options do exist, such as a sleeve gastrectomy and biliopancreatic diversion with or without duodenal switch. Each of these options has a differing level of efficacy in relation to weight loss and therefore also on comorbidities.
The decision to prefer one of these options over another is guided by a detailed assessment of the type of obesity (gynoid/visceral), Body Mass Index and the patient’s eating habits, whether the patient exhibits serious food behaviour issues, in addition to the presence of associated pathologies such as type 2 diabetes.
