Bariatric surgery, also known as weight-loss surgery or metabolic surgery, involves altering the digestive system to aid in weight reduction.

It is typically pursued when traditional methods like diet and exercise fail to yield results or when weight-related health issues become severe. This type of surgery modifies how the body processes food, with procedures like gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch being common options. These surgeries reduce stomach size or restrict food intake, enabling individuals to consume less and consequently lose weight.