Super obesity and gastric reduction procedures.

Identification and designation of those patients whose estimated ideal weight exceeds 225 per cent as super obese has improved our evaluation of operations designed for treatment of obesity. It has also allowed a more realistic prediction of results, and provided a basis for further study of both the need for, and effectiveness of, further modification of operative treatment of these extremely heavy people. The super obese patient provides a severe test for operative weight control. Much has been accomplished with purely restrictive operations in the super obese group and it is possible that the 50 per cent reduction of excess weight achieved by VBG among these patients is sufficient to prevent the more serious medical complications from extreme obesity.