Currently there is a global epidemic of obesity, with over 650 million adults suffering from this condition. Obesity is associated with over 40 diseases including Type 2 diabetes, heart attacks and strokes and some types of cancer which are some of the main causes of early death. Importantly these can be avoided and modified by weight loss. It is now well established on the basis of clinical studies and real world data, that weight loss surgery is superior to non-operative treatments in maintaining long term weight loss, improving medical conditions, and therefore decreasing the risk of early death.
Given this proof of significant benefits of weight loss surgery, in 2022 the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) have modified the recommendations/considerations for weight loss surgery.
These are some of the new guidelines for weight loss surgery as follows:
– If BMI is over 35, with or without medical conditions
– If BMI is between 30-35, and substantial weight loss has not been achieved using other means
– if weight loss is required to optimise outcomes for other surgical procedures such as joint replacement, hernia repair or organ transplantation
– for older adults as long as they are deemed fit for surgery
– BMI needs to be adjusted for ethnicity and may be set at a lower level for some people to meet the criteria for surgery
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