Bariatric Surgery & Disease Management

Yep, that is pretty repulsive. But instructive.

What was true then is still true today: when it comes to losing weight, people are willing to accept substantial risks. That’s OK when it comes to bariatric surgery, assuming the risks are fully disclosed and done so using tailored, bias-free methodologies that are free of framing and innumeracy. While the ultimate role of bariatric surgery in solving the obesity epidemic has yet to be determined, the better surgery centers will need to make substantial investments in providing state of the art pre-operative education and informed consent. Given the desperation to lose weight, patients need to be given a chance to pause and really think hard before agreeing to go under the knife.

Given the uneven track record of obtaining informed consent in many health care settings, perhaps there is a role for bariatric surgery uber-education in future iterations of obesity disease management?