Medical and surgical indications for treatment of morbid obesity

Indications for operative intervention for morbid obesity are well established for most of the cases: overweight of 35–50 kg or twice or more the ideal body weight; the type of obesity; age between 20 and 55 years; no existence of metabolic or endocrine diseases causing obesity; and no hepatic dysfunction. We consider it absolutely essential to limit surgery to cases of hyperplastic and mixed obesity, excluding patients with hypertrophic obesity. Relative indications, especially orthopedic problems, as well as social and psychological situations, modify patient selection, including certain peculiarities of the Latin patient.