Surgery for the Obese

Dr. CHAN King On - Vice President (Surgical Chapter), HKOS

Bariatric surgery is the treatment of morbid obesity using a surgical method. The classical treatment paradigm of morbid obesity is education, exercise, diet and medications. However in some patients disease progression is inevitable despite best medical treatments. In such cases, bariatric surgery should be considered as a treatment alternative as studies have shown that established surgical procedures are associated with larger and more sustained weight loss as well as better obesity-related comorbidity outcomes (including diabetes remission) as compared to non-surgical interventions. Moreover, there is robust evidence to show that bariatric surgery is associated with long-term weight loss, decreased all- cause mortality and more efficient than usual care in the prevention of type-2 diabetes, and has a positive impact on obstructive sleep apnea and the prevention of cancer.

We hope the establishment of The Hong Kong Obesity Society will help to educate the public about the importance of obesity prevention and to improve the awareness of current treatment modalities for the morbid obese in Hong Kong.