Weight Loss Surgery Options
For individuals with obesity who have struggled to lose weight and/or keep it off, weight loss surgery can be a life-changing (and life-saving) option. There are a number of highly effective bariatric surgery procedures that are designed to limit a person’s ability to take in food and can also reduce production of hormones that trigger both hunger and a feeling of satiety. If you are interested in learning more about weight loss surgery and your options, the best way to get started is to speak with a bariatric surgeon.
Bariatric Surgery Procedures
Gastric Sleeve
Formally known as Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG), the Gastric Sleeve procedure the most common weight loss surgery procedure performed in the United States. During this laparoscopic procedure, roughly 80% of the patient’s stomach is removed.
Reducing the size of the stomach means that the patient is able to eat far less food per sitting. This procedure also results in a reduction of the hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for appetite.1
Within two years of weight loss surgery, the average Gastric Sleeve patient loses 65% of his or her excess weight. Because this procedure is performed laparoscopically, most patients return home the day of surgery and are able to go back to work in roughly one week.
Gastric Bypass
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is a two-component weight loss surgery procedure that is performed laparoscopically.
For the first part of Gastric Bypass, the surgeon creates a small pouch in the upper part of the stomach using staples. By decreasing the size of the usable stomach, this limits the amount of food a patient is able to consume. Next, the surgeon re-routes the patient’s small intestine so that the body is able to absorb fewer calories. This is the “bypass” portion of the surgery, and it also works to suppress production of hunger hormones so that the patient feels full more quickly.2
The average patient who undergoes Gastric Bypass surgery loses 75% of excess weight within two years of the procedure and also significantly reduces or even resolves the threat of many obesity comorbidities such as Type 2 diabetes.
Duodenal Switch
Duodenal Switch weight loss surgery, or Biliary Pancreatic Diversion (BPD) with Duodenal Switch, is an especially effective procedure for patients who fall into the category of extreme or severe obesity, with a BMI of 50 or more. This procedure is also recommended for certain patients who have obesity and Type 2 diabetes or a slow metabolism.
Duodenal Switch is a laparoscopic procedure where the size of the stomach is dramatically reduced and up to half of the small intestine is bypassed. The Duodenal Switch is a more involved procedure than the Gastric Sleeve or Gastric Bypass and often requires an overnight hospital stay, but also delivers higher rates of obesity resolution, with the average patient showing up to 90% excess weight loss within two years and up to a 95% resolution of Type 2 diabetes.3
Adjustable Gastric Band
The Adjustable Gastric Band, often referred to by the brand name LAP-BANDⓇ, is a less invasive weight loss surgery procedure. Though performed less frequently than other procedures, Gastric Banding is still an ideal procedure for many patients. According to research, the average Gastric Band patient achieves up to 50% weight loss 2.5 years after the surgery.4
In addition to its impressive success rates, the Gastric Band appeals to many patients because this is a reversible procedure. The band that is fitted around the stomach to reduce food intake can not only be adjusted, but it can be removed.
Who is a Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?
Bariatric surgery is an ideal solution for many people with obesity and related conditions. Still, weight loss surgery may not be right for everybody. The ideal candidate for weight loss surgery:
- Has a BMI of at least 35 (BMI of 30 may qualify in some cases)
- Has obesity-related conditions that may be eased by surgery, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or sleep apnea
- Has tried other weight loss methods such as diet and exercise changes with little to no sustained success
- Is physically able to tolerate the stress of surgery
- Has reasonable expectations of the outcome of weight loss surgery
- Is dedicated to making and maintaining the lifestyle changes necessary for bariatric surgery success5
Is Weight Loss Surgery Safe?
Not only is bariatric surgery a very safe procedure, but it is often life-saving for patients who struggle with obesity and the many health conditions that often accompany it. According to multiple scholarly studies, the 30-day survival rate for weight loss surgery is nearly 100%.6 Many experts believe that weight loss surgery is the only true cure for obesity in certain patients.7
Can I Afford Weight Loss Surgery?
For individuals struggling with obesity and related conditions, weight loss surgery is often deemed medically necessary. As such, bariatric surgery is normally covered by most medical insurance plans. If your surgery is not covered by your insurance, your surgeon’s staff can recommend a number of payment financing options. Don’t let concerns about finances get in the way of embracing a healthier lifestyle—there are many options available to you!
1 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Sleeve gastrectomy. Available: https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-procedures#sleeve. Accessed October 29, 2020.
2 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Gastric bypass. Available: https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-procedures#bypass. Accessed October 30, 2020.
3 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. BPD. Available: https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-procedures#bpd. Accessed October 30, 2020.
4 Cobourn C, Chapman MA, Ali A, Amrhein J. Five-year weight loss experience of outpatients receiving laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery. Obes Surg. 2013;23(7):903-910. doi:10.1007/s11695-013-0881-7. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3671103/. Accessed October 30. 2020.
5 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health Information Center. Bariatric surgery candidates. Available: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/bariatric-surgery/potential-candidates. Accessed October 30, 2020.
6 Walter J. Pories, Bariatric Surgery: Risks and Rewards, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 93, Issue 11_supplement_1, 1 November 2008, Pages s89–s96, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2008-1641. Available: https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/93/11_supplement_1/s89/2627224. Accessed October 30, 2020.
7 Suter M, Calmes JM, Paroz A, Romy S, Giusti V. Results of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in morbidly obese vs superobese patients: similar body weight loss, correction of comorbidities, and improvement of quality of life. Arch Surg. 2009;144(4):312‐318. doi:10.1001/archsurg.2009.19. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19380643/. Accessed October 30, 2020.
The TLC Surgery Doctors have either authored or reviewed and approved this content.