Eligibility Criteria For Bariatric Surgery

The following two types of patients are eligible for bariatric surgery :

The patients with BMI greater than or equal to 32.5 kg / m² with one or more significant obesity-related conditions including :

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Obstructive sleep apnoea
• Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
• High cholesterol
• A family history of early coronary heart disease

The patients with BMI greater than or equal to 35 with one or more significant obesity-related conditions including :

• Obesity-induced physical problems interfering with lifestyle

• Body size problems precluding or severely interfering with social life, employment, family function and ambulation

• Age between 16 and 65 years (with some exceptions)

• Having multiple failed attempts at supervised dietary, behavioural and medical therapy

• Understanding and accepting the operative risks

• Having realistic expectations and motivated

Exclusion criteria :

• Drug and / or alcohol addiction
• Generally, age under 16 years or over 65 years (age is not a strict criterion)
• History of serious heart disease or severe lung problems. This can put one at increased risk during anaesthesia
• Chronic pancreatitis (or a history of this)
• Certain types of cirrhosis of the liver
• Autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus
• Blood disorder which increases the risk of heavy bleeding
• History of severe psychiatric illness
• Receiving cancer treatment (e.g. chemotherapy)
• Suffering from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel diseases)
• Pregnancy