Patients who seek information on the Internet are exposed to an information overload. It should be kept in mind that the information on the Internet may include mistakes or ignorances unless they are provided by a reliable source.
Patients can obtain the most accurate and updated information from fully equipped centers, which have been specialized in obesity surgery. One of the most common mistakes is to make head-to-head comparisons of different methods or equate technical differences of the same method.

A successful obesity surgery can be defined in various ways. It can seen as a certain loss of weight in a short period of time for the patient, however the success in fact can only be achieved with a method as universally accepted by the medical community, which maintain the weight loss over the years with minimum side effects, and minimum complications in the long-term.
There are a few institutions which deal with obesity and associated diseases in our country. Further centers which have an academic approach, working in compliance with international standards are needed.

Objectives:

To raise level of awareness and education regarding obesity disease,
To ensure that preventive and protective measures are taken,
To make scientific studies about obesity and publish them,
To implement, improve, and extend the available modern treatment methods, and give trainings

Our unit provides services with staff specialized in the field. Our organizational structure and groups are as follows:

• Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Obesity Surgery Unit
• Anesthesiology and Reanimation Department
• Endocrinology
• Psychiatry
• Exercise and Nutritional Physiology Unit
• Dietetics
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Long-term maintenance of treatments such as diet, sports and medications etc. which can be called conventional methods vary from 5 to 8%. These methods are inefficient although they are very expensive.

It has been repeatedly demonstrated that surgical methods used since the beginning of the last century provide successful outcomes.

Surgical treatment of obesity is not a new phenomenon. Since the beginning of the past century, obesity has been treated with various surgical techniques. However, we can consider the 1990s as the period such surgeries became widely used, which can be associated with widespread of laparoscopic procedures.

Widely used modern surgical treatments of obesity have been carried out by laparoscopy, which makes the procedures easier and painless for the patients who are difficult to operate due to their obesity.

Unlike many conservative centers, surgical procedures should not be considered as the last alternative. Patients should be informed of this alternative and should benefit from it as early as possible.

Patients present to our clinic as the last resort since they usually try all other options except surgery. One of the main objectives is to provide patients with an integrated consultation service.

A traditional approach of center experienced in the treatment of obesity should include developing an obesity profile of the patient, analyzing underlying endocrinological and psychiatric disorders, preparing a diet program, organizing pre- and post-operative physical therapy and exercise programs, and close follow-up of the patient.

The answer to the question “Who should undergo surgery and when?” can only be given with a pre-interview and examination.

According to the international criteria:

Obesity surgery is recommended to people with a body mass index of 40 and above. In case of any concomitant disease (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, articular problems, etc.), patients with a BMI between 35 and 40 are also recommended to undergo such surgery.