7 things your surgeon wants you to know about weight loss surgery
You still need to eat well and exercise.
Jan, 2026
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Weight-loss surgery, also called bariatric surgery, is an effective way that can help people with severe obesity shed extra pounds and keep them off, according to the National Institutes of Health. In 2022, almost 280,000 of these procedures were performed in the United States.
There is a lot to consider before deciding if surgery is right for you. Read on for insights from Lloyd Stegemann, MD, a bariatric surgeon with the Better Weigh Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, on the possible benefits and risks of weight-loss surgery.
Written byTaylor Lupo.
Medically reviewed byMark Arredondo, MD.
Sources: Medicare.gov. Bariatric surgery. Accessed July 26 + 11
- Medicare.gov. Bariatric surgery. Accessed July 26, 2024.
- DukeHealth. Is Weight Loss Surgery Covered by Insurance? Last updated October 11, 2023.
- National Institutes of Health. Definition & Facts of Weight-loss Surgery. Page last reviewed September 2020.
- American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Estimate of Bariatric Surgery Numbers, 2011-2022. Page accessed February 23, 2024.
- Eisenberg D, Shikora SA, Aarts E, et al. 2022 American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) Indications for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Obes Surg. 2023 Jan;33(1):3-14.
- American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Life After Bariatric Surgery. Page accessed February 23, 2024.
- American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Bariatric Surgery Procedures. Page accessed February 23, 2024.
- Mayo Clinic. Gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y). June 25, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Obesity Facts. Page last reviewed May 17, 2022.
- van Veldhuisen SL, Gorter TM, van Woerden G, et al. Bariatric surgery and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Heart J. 2022 May 21;43(20):1955-1969.
- Mayo Clinic. Bariatric Surgery. October 18, 2023.
- Briggs E, Kumar S, Palazzo F, et al. Revisional bariatric surgery for weight recurrence or surgical nonresponse. Annals of Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgery. 2023 Jul;8.
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