Reflections on Four Years' Activity of an Interdisciplinary Centre for the Treatment of Obese Patients.

Since 1988, there has been an interdisciplinary center for obesity treatment in Stradella's Hospital's Surgery Department,. Patients are followed by a group of surgeons, anesthetists and dietitians, who choose the proper treatment for the patient. The surgical treatments are two: (1) vertical banded gastroplasty; and (2) a new technique consisting of biliopancreatic diversion plus a vertical banded gastroplasty with stomach ad hoc. The authors explain the new surgical procedure showing positive results, without giving final conclusions because of the small number of patients treated.