Weight loss surgery

All surgeries and medical procedures carry risk. To understand the best option for you, it is important to talk to your doctor and loved ones. Our advanced surgical team offers numerous treatment options to meet your specific needs.

Adjustable gastric band or lap band

An adjustable gastric band involves an inflatable band that is fastened around the upper portion of the stomach. This creates a small stomach pouch above the band, moving the rest of the stomach below it.

Food is still digested normally, but a smaller stomach pouch allows for smaller amounts of food to satisfy hunger and promote a feeling of fullness. Reducing hunger can lead to less eating, which lowers your caloric intake and helps keeps weight off.

This feeling of fullness will depend upon the size of the opening created by the gastric band between the pouch and the remainder of the stomach. The size of the opening can be reduced gradually over time via repeated adjustments, or “fills," where the band is filled with sterile saline through a port placed under the skin.

Duodenal switch

The duodenal switch is one of the most powerful and long-lasting weight loss surgeries available, combining a sleeve gastrectomy and intestinal bypass. However, in more severe instances, these two parts of the procedure may be performed up to 12 months apart.

During the procedure, a surgeon permanently removes about 60 to 70% of the stomach, making it about the size and shape of a banana. The lower intestine is then divided by two-thirds or more, starting at the duodenum, leaving only a few feet where food and digestive enzymes meet. This allows the duodenum to attach to the ileum, the lowest part of the small intestine.

This procedure bypasses the part of the small intestine where food and digestive enzymes meet, promoting weight loss primarily through malabsorption. Due to this, you will need to schedule frequent checkups to ensure optimal vitamin and protein levels, as you are likely to experience increased flatulence and more frequent, looser bowel movements.

Gastric bypass

Also known as the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, this is the most common and typically successful type of weight loss surgery.

During the procedure, a small stomach pouch is created to restrict food intake. Next, a Y-shaped section of the small intestine is attached to the pouch to allow food to bypass the lower stomach, duodenum and jejunum, the portion of the small intestine between the duodenum and the ileum. Doing so reduces the amount of calories and nutrients the body absorbs. The procedure is both non-reversible and nonadjustable.

Following surgery, you may see an improvement in conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. However, as with every other bariatric procedure, long term success from gastric bypass surgery is reliant on adhering to a diet and exercise program.

Sleeve gastrectomy

A sleeve gastrectomy removes approximately 85% of the stomach, changing it to the shape of a banana. Stomach function is still preserved, as are the outlet valve and nerves to the stomach, even though the stomach is drastically reduced in size.

There are fewer restrictions on foods that you can consume after surgery, although the quantity of food eaten is still considerably reduced. Being able to perform the procedure laparoscopically — that is, through small incisions — helps speed up recovery times.

If you are obese with a relatively low body mass index (BMI), a sleeve gastrectomy may be your best option. This is especially true if you have existing conditions that may prevent other types of surgery, such as anemia or Crohn's disease. If you do not lose enough weight following this procedure, or experience a significant regaining of weight, you may need to speak with your doctor about a duodenum switch.

Obesity is a disease that affects over 100 million adults. It is commonly measured using your BMI, a metric calculated using height and weight. As your BMI increases, so does the risk for disease and other potential health concerns.

Morbid obesity can cause life-threatening health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Bariatric surgery can help decrease the chances of developing these and other conditions, such as sleep apnea and arthritis. With appropriate treatment and optimal health, a longer, higher quality life is much more achievable.

It's important to remember that although weight loss surgery can provide substantial change, it should not be considered a cure-all solution. While it can be effective in getting you on the right track, keeping a consistent, postoperative diet and exercise program is something you must work at your entire life.