Psychologic issues in bariatric surgery--the surgeon's perspective.

The consensus that obesity surgery is superior to medical intervention is growing and is supported by abundant evidence. Most patients lose a significant amount of weight, maintain their weightloss long-term, and therefore have improved quality of life with decreased comorbidities and enhanced psychosocial functioning. Despite these benefits from surgery, 5% to 30% of patients lose little weight or are unable to maintain their weight loss postoperatively. This article discusses the psychologic issues involved in bariatric surgery and particularly the absence of psychologically related positive or negative predictors of successful outcome.