What Bariatric Surgery Options Are Available To Me?

Up to 54% of Americans are currently attempting to lose weight. Regular exercise and healthy weight loss are important for preventing future health problems such as heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. However, not everyone is able to get down to a healthy weight with regular diet and exercise.

Those who are obese and are unable to keep the weight off may be interested in bariatric surgeries. There are various types of bariatric surgery and each type of bariatric surgery aims to help those who are obese to lose weight in a healthy way and keep the weight off.

Consider the following types of bariatric surgery and how each may be able to help you reduce body weight.

Sleeve Gastrectomy

A sleeve gastrectomy is a procedure where a large part of the stomach is removed by a surgeon. The removal of the unused portion of the stomach controls the amount of hormones released into the body that control hunger. During this procedure, the stomach is typically reduced to about 15% of its normal size. This helps reduce the amount of food necessary to feel full and therefore promotes weight loss.

Gastric Bypass

Gastric bypass surgery is when the stomach is divided into two sections. The first section is an upper pouch and the lower section is the remnant pouch. Part of the small intestine is also bypassed with this surgery. This causes the patient to eat less and also to absorb less of the food eaten which reduces caloric intake. Those who undergo gastric bypass surgery have been known to reduce their weight by 67% over the course of two years.

Lap-band

A laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, or lap-band, is a silicone device surgically placed around the upper section of the stomach. The band is inflatable and is designed to reduce the consumption of food. As a result, patients who undergo this surgery feel full sooner while eating.

Duodenal Switch

The Biliopancreatic Diversion with a Duodenal Switch also removes a portion of the stomach. In addition, a long segment of the small intestine is bypassed, which reduces the amount of food absorbed in the intestinal tract. This surgery generally yields the most significant weight-loss resulting in the reduction of major health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. It usually is reserved for the more extreme bariatric cases.

Each bariatric surgery is different and not everyone may benefit from the same procedure. For more information on bariatric surgeries that may benefit you, contact a bariatric surgeon at Wood County Hospital today for a consultation.