Bariatric Surgery Is Safe and It Works

The uptake of bariatric surgery remains low in the United States, with fewer than 1% of eligible patients undergoing this life-saving treatment.1 In addition to the obesity bias that delays referral for surgery, some continue to fear the short- and long-term risks of surgery. To date, most long-term outcome data have focused on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB),2 but sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is now the most common bariatric operation in the United States.3 A better understanding of its long-term outcomes may help allay some of these fears.