Weight Loss Surgery: What You Need to Know

Learn about different types of weight loss surgeries available today including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band and sleeve gastrectomy.

Weight Loss Surgery: What You Need to Know

According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), gastric bypass surgery divides one part of the stomach from the rest of the stomach. General medical guidelines for weight-loss surgery are based on body mass index (BMI). BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. Weight-loss surgery may be an option for an adult with a BMI of 40 or higher.

In Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the surgeon creates a small pouch in the upper part of the stomach. The pouch is the only part of the stomach that receives food. This greatly limits how much you can eat and drink comfortably at a time. There are currently three major weight-loss (or bariatric) surgeries performed in the United States: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band and sleeve gastrectomy.

All of these surgeries have advantages and disadvantages, and none of them is a quick and simple solution to losing weight. With each procedure, you need to follow a diet and exercise program for good results - surgery is just a tool to help in the process of losing weight. Weight-loss surgery is also known as bariatric and metabolic surgery. These terms are used to reflect the impact of these operations on the weight of patients and the health of their metabolism (breakdown of food into energy). In addition to their ability to treat obesity, these operations are very effective in the treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and high cholesterol, among many other diseases.

These operations also have the ability to prevent future health problems. The benefits allow patients with obesity who choose to undergo treatment to enjoy a better quality of life and a longer life expectancy. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is a type of weight-loss surgery. It is often performed as a laparoscopic surgery, with small incisions in the abdomen. Gastric sleeve (also called sleeve gastrectomy) is the most common weight loss procedure.

With this operation, the surgeon removes part of the stomach and makes a tube or sleeve out of the rest of the stomach. The new banana-shaped stomach is much smaller than the original stomach. In addition to supporting weight loss, it can help reduce many weight loss challenges by causing feelings of satiety and reducing food cravings. Here's an introduction to weight-loss surgeries available today to help you start the conversation with your healthcare provider. Losing weight and bringing your blood glucose, also known as blood sugar levels, closer to normal before surgery can lower your chances of having surgery-related problems.

People who have gastric bypass tend to lose more weight than people who get a gastric sleeve, but there can also be more problems. Together, these interventions create a smaller stomach that can accommodate less food, while preventing the body from gaining weight as much as it normally would with the food you eat. This surgery offers good weight loss along with less hunger, more satiety, blood sugar control and improved diabetes. Biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch, or simply a duodenal switch, is a complex surgery that results in more weight loss than a gastric bypass. Every weight-loss surgery has benefits for certain people, depending on their health status and situation.

Depending on the type or severity of an obesity-related illness, some adults or adolescents with a lower BMI may have weight-loss surgery. If you're considering weight-loss surgery, you'll meet with several specialists to help you decide if it is an option for you. To be a candidate for weight-loss surgery, you must have a BMI (body mass index) greater than 40 or a BMI greater than 35 with comorbid conditions, that is, other medical conditions, such as heart disease, in addition to a high BMI. There are several surgical procedures, but all of them help you lose weight by limiting the amount of food you can eat. Surgery may also be suitable for people who have tried different non-surgical methods to reduce excess weight who have not been successful.