"THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM IS THE DEFINITION OF TERMS" - Plato

Morbid obesity is a disease process; it is not a defect in one's personality or character.¹  The cause is most likely multi-factorial and is thought to be a complex combination of genetic predisposition (80%) and environmental factors (20%).

Medical treatment programs have traditionally failed 95-97% of the time², but should not be abandoned all together.  Medical programs may be quite effective in a select group of patients or to prepare patients for surgery by providing the foundation for nutrition and exercise principles important after the surgical procedure.

This web site has been designed to provide basic information you should know prior to considering bariatric surgery for the treatment of morbid obesity or obesity related medical problems.  It represents the opinion of Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery Associates' physicians, their experience and interpretation of many texts, journal articles and communication with bariatric leaders worldwide.  By providing the foundation for further research on your part, we hope you will begin to understand the complex nature of this disease and the integral part you must play in its treatment.

Surgery is a serious step forward and should only be contemplated after you have done considerable research and have discussed other options with your family physician.  The decision for surgery is probably the most important decision of your life and should be considered as the "last resort" - only after all other reasonable alternatives have failed.

Although the surgical procedure is a vital part of the program, you should consider it only a tool that allows you to attain your goals.  Surgical weight loss is not a passive process.  You must be an active participant in the process in order to maintain nutrition and optimize weight control.  Health after gastric bypass may be dependent on proper dietary choices that include vitamin and mineral supplementation.  We, at Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery Associates, are committed to provide the safest, most effective, comprehensive program available.

^{1 National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel 1978}

^{2 National Insitute of Health Study 1992}