Essentials of a bariatric surgery program

The incidence of morbid obesity is increasing in epidemic proportions (1). This alarming trend is being accentuated by daily media-driven highlights and periodic calls for action from government officials (2). General surgeons are coming under increasing market pressures to provide surgical solutions for these patients who seek significant and durable weight loss. Morbidly obese patients often carry multiple diagnoses, and many surgeons who had embarked on this speciality rapidly realized that the safest and most effective approach to managing these patients successfully is through a comprehensive management program.