|
Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery
The bariatric surgical procedures performed most commonly today are typically referred to as either “restrictive-only” or “restrictive and malabsorptive.” Both types of procedures may be performed laparoscopically under general anesthesia. Laparoscopic Gastric Band Surgery (Restrictive-Only)Surgery of this kind normally involves restriction of both stomach outlet and stomach size.
Food intolerance, in addition to band slippage, is a common problem for patients following surgery. Red meats, such as steak and even hamburger, and moist breads must be avoided by many patients as these foods commonly obstruct the narrow passageway, or stoma, created by the band. The obstruction commonly requires that the patient vomit to clear the narrow stoma. Band patients are instructed not to drink during their meals or for two hours following a meal. Individuals who do not closely follow physician instructions following lapband surgery may drink high calorie liquids such as ice cream drinks, which render the lapband surgery unsuccessful since the procedure itself does not impact the absorption of calories. Following surgery to implant the band, the individuals who appear to do best are those who return to the clinic as often as every two to four weeks to have their band adjusted during the first year following surgery. The band is adjusted by inserting a needle through the skin and either adding or removing fluid from the cuff. Not uncommonly, the gastric bands slip after they've been placed on the wall of the stomach, and in other cases the bands have eroded through the stomach wall. An additional operation to correct either of these situations is usually required.
Gastric Bypass Surgery (Restrictive and Malabsorptive)Gastric bypass surgery, sometimes referred to as a “Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery” or simply as a “Roux-en-Y” (pronounced Roo-en-y), is the most common type of restrictive and malabsorptive surgical procedure.
Even when performed laparoscopically, gastric bypass surgery is very invasive and has significant risks. Mortality rates vary greatly and appear to be lowest at centers with higher surgical volumes and very experienced surgeons. Gastric bypass surgery reduces the digestive system's ability to absorb calories as well as vitamins and other micro-nutrients critical to health. Individuals who undergo gastric bypass surgery have a life-long need for nutritional supplements that may include, for example, vitamin B12 injections following surgery.
Home | What is VBLOC Therapy? | Why VBLOC Therapy? | Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery
|
When
diet and nutritional counseling fail, many obese individuals
have found that the only approved therapy that works is weight
loss surgery, increasingly referred to as bariatric weight
loss surgery. The surgeons who specialize in these procedures
are called bariatric surgeons. The word “bariatric” comes
from the Greek root word “baros,” which means “weight” or “burden.” We
are very fortunate that there are an increasing number of exceptional
surgeons specializing in bariatric weight loss surgery, but
the types of procedures available to them are quite limited. 
Prior to the availability of gastric
banding devices, many physicians performed “stomach stapling” to
reduce stomach outlet and size. Stapling is rarely performed
today. Today, in a laparoscopic banding surgery, a gastric
band—an inflatable silicone cuff—is placed around the upper
part of the stomach and inflated such that the passageway for
food is significantly reduced to about the diameter of a pencil
eraser. This band physically limits the volume and type of
food that may be eaten. 
Gastric
bypass surgery permanently reduces the stomach to approximately
the size of a golf ball and restricts the outlet of the stomach
into the small intestine. Gastric bypass surgery also involves “bypassing” a
significant portion of the small intestine. The portion of
small intestine used to create the bypass is referred to as
the “Roux limb.” When the length of the small intestine
is reduced, the absorption of calories and nutrients is also
reduced, making gastric bypass surgery both restrictive
and malabsorptive. 
The
causes and mechanisms of obesity are very complex. As with
most interventions, bariatric weight loss surgery should be
considered as one part of the obesity solution, complemented
by increased activity and wise choices regarding diet and nutrition,
as advised by each individual's medical provider. New potential
treatments, such as