Surgical treatment of morbid obesity.

The surgical treatment of morbid obesity has undergone considerable development over the last few years. Intestinal bypass procedures have gradually lost popularity because they are responsible for severe long-term complications due to nutritional deficiencies. Gastric reduction (vertical gastric partitioning, adjustable silicone gastric partitioning) is currently the most widely used approach. Surgery should be reserved for carefully selected patients. Good long-term results can be obtained only through close cooperation between surgeons, endocrinologists, and psychiatrists. In appropriately selected cases, surgery is usually followed by significant weight loss, improvements in obesity-related disorders, and improvements in social, psychological, and professional function.