Age 18 to 65 years. Teenagers between 16 and 18 years with parental consent may be evaluated for individualized analysis of risk and benefits of the procedure. Patients between 65 and 70 years in good general condition must have also an individual risk / benefit assessment.
BMI> 40 (BMI is the ratio between weight in kg and the square of height in meters), which is usually equivalent to more than twice the ideal weight.
BMI between 35-40 if there are also associated comorbidities present such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia (hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia), heart failure, respiratory failure, Obstructive Sleep Apnea syndrome (OSA), cholelithiasis, amenorrhea-infertility and other menstrual disorders, urinary incontinence especially in women, hip and knee osteoarthritis, lower limb venous insufficiency, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux and social constraints.
TYPE 2 DIABETES and BMI> 30. If diabetes is poorly controlled despite appropriate treatment. These patients should be assessed individually by multidisciplinary units. This is METABOLIC SURGERY OF THE DIABETES, with promising results.
- Duration of morbid obesity for at least 5 years and previous controlled attempts to loose weight.
- Psychological stability: absence of severe alcohol addiction or other drugs, absence of major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder, major depression (although some cases deserve an individualized assessment), mental retardation, eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder)