Publisher's Synopsis
Gastric bypass surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is a surgical procedure that is used to treat morbid obesity. This procedure involves reducing the size of the stomach and rerouting the digestive tract in order to limit the amount of food a person can eat and the amount of calories and nutrients absorbed by the body. According to the World Health Organization, obesity has more than doubled since 1980, and as of 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults were considered overweight, with 650 million of them being obese. This alarming trend has led to an increase in the number of people turning to bariatric surgery as a means to lose weight and improve their overall health. The concept of surgically treating obesity has been around for centuries. One of the earliest recorded weight loss surgeries was performed in the 10th century by an Arab physician, Al-Zahrawi, who created a hollow tube that was inserted into the stomach through the esophagus, inflating it with air to make the patient feel full and eat less. However, modern bariatric surgery as we know it today started in the 1950s and 1960s with the development of different types of intestinal bypass procedures. In the 1990s, the gastric bypass procedure was introduced and has become the most common form of bariatric surgery, accounting for over 75% of all bariatric procedures performed. The goal of gastric bypass surgery is to achieve significant and sustained weight loss in individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35 or higher with obesity-related medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and others. This surgery is not a cosmetic procedure, but rather a medical treatment for severe obesity that has not been effectively managed through other means such as diet, exercise, and medication. The procedure is also recommended for people who have tried and failed to lose weight through other less invasive methods and are at risk of developing serious health complications
