The pluses and minuses of bariatric surgery for morbid obesity: An endocrinological perspective.

Obesity both in adults and children has emerged as a worldwide epidemic. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of a number of comorbidities including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, degenerative joint disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, reflux esophagitis, stroke, coronary heart disease, venous stasis ulcers, cholelithiasis, erectile dysfunction and polycystic ovary syndrome. It is now generally accepted that bariatric surgery procedures induce long-term weight loss and offer resolution or dramatic improvement in numerous comorbidities of obesity, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia. These effects mainly arise from endocrine changes resulting from the gastrointestinal surgical procedures. The aim of this short review was to evaluate the pros and cons of bariatric surgery for morbid obesity seen from the perspective of a practicing endocrinologist.