Editorial
Copyright ©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 14, 2008; 14(6): 821-827
Published online Feb 14, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.821
Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity
Antonio Iannelli, Raffaella Dainese, Thierry Piche, Enrico Facchiano, Jean Gugenheim
Antonio Iannelli, Enrico Facchiano, Jean Gugenheim, Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Centre de Transplantation Hépatique. Pôle Digestif du CHU de Nice, Université de Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, Faculté de Médecine, Nice, F-06107, France
Raffaella Dainese, Thierry Piche, Gastroenterology Department and Functional Unit Pôle Digestif du CHU de Nice, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Pôle Digestif, Nice, F-06202, France
Correspondence to: Dr. Antonio Iannelli, Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Centre de Transplantation Hépatique, 151 Route Saint Antoine de Ginestière BP 3079 - Nice Cedex 3, France. antonio_iannelli@hotmail.com
Telephone: +33-4-92036168
Fax: +33-4-92036575
Received: July 6, 2007
Revised: December 10, 2007
Published online: February 14, 2008
Abstract

The incidence of obesity is steadily rising, and it has been estimated that 40% of the US population will be obese by the year 2025 if the current trend continues. In recent years there has been renewed interest in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity in concomitance with the epidemic of obesity. Bariatric surgery proved effective in providing weight loss of large magnitude, correction of comorbidities and excellent short-term and long-term outcomes, decreasing overall mortality and providing a marked survival advantage. The Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) has increased in popularity and is currently very “trendy” among laparoscopic surgeons involved in bariatric surgery. As LSG proved to be effective in achieving considerable weight loss in the short-term, it has been proposed by some as a sole bariatric procedure. This editorial focuses on the particular advantages of LSG in the treatment of morbid obesity.

Keywords: Obesity; Bbariatric surgery; Sleeve gastrectomy; Ghrelin; Weight loss