Some surgical techniques employ several procedures. The most common and preferred bariatric surgery performed today is Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, but each technique has proven effective in weight loss, lowering BMI, and improving health and quality of life.
Bariatric surgery helps patients lose weight and improve or resolve serious health problems associated with obesity in two ways:
Restrictive Procedure: Limits the amount of food you can eat. Your surgeon creates a smaller stomach pouch that fills quickly when you eat. Because you feel satisfied and full much sooner, you eat less.
Malabsorptive Procedure: Alters your ability to absorb calories and nutrients from food. Your surgeon changes the way food travels through your digestive system, rerouting it past a large part of the stomach and a portion of the small intestine so much of the calories and nutrients pass through your body without being absorbed.
Both methods of surgical weight loss have great benefits, but they also have inherent risks, as does any surgery. Choosing weight loss surgery is not a decision to be made lightly and should be considered only after other, non-surgical options have failed. It’s important to learn about the risks and discuss them with your bariatric physician.
St. Bernardine’s Surgical Weight Loss program offers the most advanced bariatric surgery techniques. They include open surgery and the preferred laparoscopic bariatric surgery, a minimally invasive technique that generally involves smaller incisions, less pain, a shorter hospital stay, reduced infection risks and quicker recovery time for most patients. Ask your surgeon if you are a candidate for a laparoscopic procedure.
For more information, we invite you to contact us, or call (909) 806-1250. Click here to Find a Doctor.
