Weight Recurrence and Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: Definition, Evaluation, and Implications

Bariatric surgery remains a highly effective and dependable treatment for obesity, yielding durable results in weight reduction and improvement of comorbidities. Nonetheless, a subset of patients experience weight recurrence, sometimes accompanied by other health concerns. Despite the pressing need to address this matter, the establishment of a universally accepted definition for clinically significant weight recurrence post metabolic and bariatric surgery remains elusive. In this chapter, we undertake a critical examination of the existing literature, focusing on the myriad definitions of weight recurrence, inherent limitations, and key factors such as prevalence, predictors, and underlying causes of this phenomenon. Emphasis is placed on replacing the term “weight gain” with “weight recurrence” in clinical discourse, emphasizing the imperative of gaining a comprehensive understanding of this issue and its far-reaching implications for tailoring patient-specific management strategies.