The article below is from The US news and World Report that highlights the benefits of weight loss surgery.

What are the Benefits of Bariatric Surgery?
Bariatric surgery can improve the health and lengthen the life span of people who are severely obese. Those who have weight-loss surgery are less likely to die from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer seven to 10 years following the procedure than similarly heavy people who don't have the operation, according to two studies reported in 2007 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Other studies show that for the severely obese, bariatric surgery is more effective at achieving and maintaining weight loss than nonsurgical treatments.

As weight loss occurs, bariatric surgery patients may see improvements in a number of serious medical conditions. For example:

• Ninety percent of diabetic patients see a marked improvement-and often a complete resolution-of their disease.
  
• More than 60 percent of patients experience a significant reduction in their cholesterol levels.
  
• Approximately 50 percent see a significant decrease in high blood pressure.
  
• Some 85 percent of patients who previously experienced sleep apnea see a significant improvement in-and frequently a total resolution of-that condition.
  
• Stress urinary incontinence lessens or is resolved in most patients.
  
• Many patients who were previously depressed report a significant improvement in their overall mental health.

Because combined procedures typically result in more weight loss than restrictive surgeries, patients who undergo Roux-en-Y and biliopancreatic diversion bypass surgeries tend to see a greater improvement in their health-and see it more quickly-than those who opt for the Lap-Band procedure.

Overall, the health benefits of bariatric surgery far outweigh the risks for most severely obese patients-and many report feeling as though they've been given a second chance at leading healthy lives.

Average weight lost
The amount of weight a patient loses after bariatric surgery depends upon a number of factors, including the type of procedure performed, the patient's health and weight before surgery (heavier patients tend to lose more), and how faithfully the patient follows physician-recommended diet and exercise plans. The following are weight-loss averages for the various types of bariatric surgery:

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Within about 14 months, patients who undergo the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass lose an average of 60 percent of their excess body weight-or approximately 140 pounds.

Lap-Band® procedure. Weight loss following the Lap-Band procedure averages 50 percent of patients' excess weight-or about 80 pounds-and typically occurs over two to three years.

Vertical banded gastroplasty. Patients who undergo VBG lose an average of 50 percent of their excess body weight. Data suggest, however, that over the long term, only a fourth of the patients keep that much weight off.

Sleeve gastrectomy. The sleeve gastrectomy is a relatively new procedure, and data are limited. Early studies indicate that average weight loss falls between the losses seen with the Lap-Band procedure and the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Biliopancreatic diversion bypass. Patients who undergo BPD surgery lose an average of 70 to 80 percent of their excess body weight within the first two years of the procedure.

Individual patients may lose more or less weight than indicated by these national averages. Maintaining the weight loss depends largely on a patient's post-surgical diet and level of physical activity.

Counseling
Many studies have documented long-term medical follow-up to be very important in achieving maximal weight loss after bariatric surgery. Patients are sometimes encouraged to continue with counseling for eating disorders for at least two years. Postoperative counseling serves not only to support patients as they work to significantly alter their dietary and activity habits but also to guide them through the physical, emotional, and social changes that inevitably result from dramatic weight loss.