There are several different types of weight-loss surgery, each using different methods to reduce your stomach size and help you lose weight. Our surgeons are experts in select bariatric procedures–Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, Adjustable Gastric Band and the Sleeve Gastrectomy. Some of our bariatric surgery patients also opt for the cosmetic procedure known as an abdominoplasty, or “tummy tuck”, to remove excess skin after weight loss.

If you’re a candidate for weight-loss surgery, our team will recommend the type of surgery that will most benefit you.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most common form of weight-loss surgery and has been performed for almost 50 years. In a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a small pouch about the size of an egg is created at the top of the stomach using surgical staples or a plastic band. This pouch effectively acts as the patient’s “new” stomach.

The smaller stomach is connected directly to the middle portion of the small intestine, bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine. No stomach or intestine is removed during surgery.

The new connection between stomach pouch and intestine restricts intake and changes the way food is digested. The new, smaller stomach pouch allows the patient to feel full with much smaller meals.

This procedure can be done by making an incision in the abdomen (an open procedure) or by making a smaller incision and using specialized instruments and a camera to guide the surgery (laparoscopic approach). Our surgeons use the laparoscopic approach whenever possible. This minimally invasive procedure allows for fewer surgical complications, a smaller chance of infection, and a shorter recovery time for patients.

The gastric bypass is a proven way for patients to achieve rapid and sustainable weight loss. It’s not uncommon for patients to lose between 40 and 100 pounds during the first three months after surgery. Patients will often continue losing weight at a steady rate up to two years after surgery, until they have reached their ideal body weight that they can sustain for the rest of their life.

Adjustable Gastric Band
The Adjustable Gastric Band is a surgical procedure involving the insertion of a restrictive device on the top portion of the stomach. The device creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach that holds four to eight ounces of food. The band slows the passage of food from the pouch to the rest of the stomach. Once the pouch is full, the patient feels full.

Adjustable gastric bands differ from other bariatric surgeries in that the procedure does not involve the cutting or removing of parts of the digestive system. The band can also be removed easily via a minimally invasive procedure. It can also be adjusted by adding a saline solution to the ring via an access port in the patient’s abdomen in order to achieve optimum results.

Weight loss results from the band procedure are typically not as immediate as gastric bypass surgery. Instead, lap band patients often experience slower weight loss over a longer period of time.

Sleeve Gastrectomy 
The Sleeve Gastrectomy requires removal of 85% of your stomach. However, the intestine is not bypassed, so vitamin and most nutrient absorption is not affected as much as in the bypass procedures. Risks are similar to the gastric bypass and long-term data (>10 years) is not available. The sleeve gastrectomy appears to be a very good operation for some patients and can be converted to a gastric bypass or duodenal switch if necessary.