About this Research Topic

Background

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic. More than 10% of the world population qualifies as obese and this proportion is only expected to increase. Obesity is associated with numerous chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and numerous types of malignancies, such as endometrial cancer and colorectal cancer. Given these significant implications, along with the rising prevalence of obesity, we have witnessed an explosion of weight reduction interventions. Among the most popular and effective to date is bariatric surgery. The exponential growth of bariatric surgery began in the 1990s with the implementation of laparoscopy, and today there are over 600,000 bariatric surgeries performed annually across the world.

Bariatric surgery (BS) is widely regarded as the most sustainable form of weight loss and can improve several obesity-related comorbidities, such as type II diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, NAFLD, and more. Standardized pathways for patient care have been established to optimize pre-, intra-, and postoperative outcomes for patients undergoing bariatric surgery. These comprehensive programs focus on holistic care and often include nutritional counseling with registered dieticians and clinical nutritionists, psychiatric counseling with psychiatrists and occupational therapists, optimization of their medical comorbidities with internists, and preoperative counseling with bariatric surgeons. To date, we encounter a lack of standardization in the bariatric surgery programs for both pre and post-surgical follow-up, as well as intra-operative management of candidates across different centers. Moreover, recently International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) have updated the guidelines on indications for metabolic and bariatric surgery, with a consequent need to establish an agreement in the scientific and clinical population. Due to the extensive nature of bariatric surgery programs, and the current heterogeneity amongst programs, they present a significant opportunity for research endeavors across a variety of healthcare topics.

The breadth of research along with the ongoing boom of bariatric surgery prompted the initiation of this Frontiers Research Topic on bariatric surgery. The scope of this Research Topic will include all original research articles investigating at least one of the following aspects of perioperative care in bariatric surgery:

• Updated demographic data pertaining to bariatric surgery and comparison of different BS options
• Cost-effectiveness and clinical-effectiveness studies: surgery versus non-surgical procedures
• Body composition and metabolic assessment of BS candidates before and after surgery
• Preoperative nutritional and psychological optimization
• Optimization of obesity-associated medical comorbidities prior to and following BS
• Postoperative management of bariatric patients
• Nutritional supplementation for prevention and treatment of deficiencies after BS
• Long-term follow-up for bariatric surgery patients and health outcomes associated with BS
• Psychological aspects and quality of life before and after BS
• Weight regain management and eating disorders following BS

Keywords: bariatric surgery, gastric by-pass, gastric sleeve

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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