What Is Bariatric Surgery?

The most commonly performed inpatient bariatric surgery is called the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. In this procedure, the stomach is made smaller and a part of the small intestine is by-passed so that fewer calories and nutrients are absorbed, according to the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Among the risks from this procedure are infection, hernia and long-term nutritional deficiencies.

Generally, people who are considered candidates for bariatric surgery have a body mass index (BMI) higher than4}, which means they are approximately 100 pounds overweight if they are male and B0 pounds overweight if they are female, according to the NIDDK. People who have lower BMIs may also be considered candidates for the surgery if they have obesity-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, severe sleep apnea or heart disease.

A majority of the procedures are done on women (84%) and those who have private insurance (83%), according to the study.