Gastric<unk>  is indicated for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity, a diagnosis which is made when the patient is seriously obese, has been unable to achieve satisfactory and sustained weight loss by dietary efforts, and suffers from comorbid conditions which are either life-threatening or a serious impairment to the quality of life. Prior to 1991, clinicians interpreted serious obesity as weighing at least more than the "ideal body weight", an actuarially-determined body-weight at which one was estimated to be likely to live the longest, as determined by the life-insurance industry. This criterion failed for persons of short stature. In 1991, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored a consensus panel whose recommendations have set the standard for consideration of surgical treatment, the body mass index (BMI). The BMI is defined as the body weight (in kilograms), divided by the square of the height (in meters). The result is expressed as a number in units of kilograms per square meter. In healthy adults, BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9, with a BMI above 30 being considered obese, and a BMI less than 18.5 considered underweight. The Consensus Panel of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommended the following criteria for consideration of bariatric<unk> , including gastric<unk>  procedures: * people who have a BMI of 40 or higher * people with a BMI of 35 or higher with one or more related comorbid conditions The Consensus Panel also emphasized the necessity of multidisciplinary care of the bariatric surgical patient by a team of physicians and therapists to manage associated comorbidities and nutrition, physical activity, behavior, and psychological needs. The surgical procedure is best regarded as a tool which enables the patient to alter lifestyle and eating habits, and to achieve effective and permanent management of obesity and eating behavior. Since 1991, major developments in the field of bariatric<unk> , particularly laparoscopy, have outdated some of the conclusions of the NIH panel. In 2004 the American Society for Bariatric<unk>  (ASBS) sponsored a consensus conference which updated the evidence and the conclusions of the NIH panel. This conference, composed of physicians and scientists of both surgical and non-surgical disciplines, reached several conclusions, including: * bariatric<unk>  is the most effective treatment for morbid obesity * gastric<unk>  is one of four types of operations for morbid obesity * laparoscopic<unk>  is equally effective and as safe as open<unk>  * patients should undergo comprehensive preoperative evaluation and have multi-disciplinary support for optimum outcome
Gastric bypass surgery
Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty
Vertical banded gastroplasty surgery
Sleeve gastrectomy
Adjustable gastric band
Collis gastroplasty
SILS gastric banding
Bariatric surgery