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Background: The authors studied whether morbidly obese patients who failed in stated weight loss criteria may be considered absolute failures or relative successes., Methods: 75 morbidly obese patients underwent biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) of Larrad, with a 4/5 gastrectomy (residual gastric volume 150-200 ml), a biliopancreatic limb divided 50 cm distal to Treitz' ligament, a 50-cm common limb and an alimentary limb of nearly all the bowel length (500-600 cm). Every patient had a follow-up of 5 years. A percent excess weight loss (%EWL) < 50% was considered a "failure". We analyzed the post-surgical changes in the preoperative obesity-related problems in these patients and the causes of the weight loss failure., Results: At 5 years after the BPD of Larrad, 9 patients (12%) had a %EWL < 50%, with a mean %EWL of 36 in these patients. Most of these failed patients were cured or improved of their preoperative illnesses. The 2 males were alcoholics, and 6 of the 7 females had an abnormal psychological examination. Comparing the "failed" patients with the successful group, there is a statistically significant influence (p < 0.01) of lack of satiety, unmarried status, housewife or unemployed., Conclusion: Patients judged as a failure by weight loss criteria after bariatric surgery should not be considered absolute failures, because most of their preoperative illnesses were cured or improved, improving their quality of life. Thus, they are "relative successes".