Types of Surgery
Bariatric surgery is appropriate for
patients who are 100 pounds or more overweight and for those patients
who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 35 and 40. It is also
advantageous for those who have life-threatening or disabling conditions
related to their weight.
At Benefis Bariatric Institute we offer three types of weight-loss surgery:
Gastric Bypass
In
a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the stomach is made smaller by creating a
small pouch at the top of the 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. This
procedure can be done by making a large incision in the abdomen (called
an ‘open procedure’) or by making a few small incisions and using small
instruments and a camera to guide the surgery (laparoscopic surgery).
Adjustable Lap Banding
Adjustable
lap banding is done laparoscopically, through several small incisions
in the belly. The doctor will place small surgical tools and a camera
through the incisions. The doctor will then wrap a device around the
upper part of your stomach to form a ring. Attached to the ring is a
thin tube leading to an access port that is left under the skin. The
access port is the place where the doctor puts in a needle to add or
take away saline. Adding saline tightens the band and makes the stomach
smaller. The doctor can take away saline if the ring is too tight.
The
adjustable lap band reduces the amount of food that your stomach can
hold at one time. You will feel full faster and stay full longer, so you
wind up eating less. This helps you gradually lose weight and keep it
off.
Gastric Sleeve
Gastric sleeve surgery, or gastric
sleeve resection, is one of the newer types of bariatric surgery. During
this procedure a bariatric surgeon removes about 85 percent of the
stomach so that it takes the shape of a tube or sleeve. Performed
laparoscopically, the surgeon makes small incisions as opposed to one
large incision. Once the surgery is completed, the tube-shaped stomach
that is left is sealed closed with staples.
Gastric sleeve
surgery may be appropriate for people who can't return as often for the
follow-up visits required by gastric banding procedures such as the Lap
Band procedure.