What is Weight-Loss Surgery?

Clinically severe obesity is a chronic condition that is very difficult to treat. Altering the 'normal' digestive process through bariatric surgery is a viable option for some who seek medical assistance

The normal digestive process explained:

Normally, as food moves along the digestive tract, appropriate digestive juices and enzymes digest and absorb calories and nutrients. After being chewed and swallowed, the food moves down the esophagus to the stomach, where a strong acid continues the digestive process. The stomach can hold about three pints of food at one time. When the stomach contents move through the pylorus to the duodenum, the first segment of the intestine, bile and pancreatic juice speed up digestion. Most of the calcium and iron in the foods we eat is absorbed in the duodenum. The jejunum and ileum, the remaining two segments of the nearly 20 feet of small intestine, complete the absorption of almost all calories and nutrients. The food particles that cannot be digested in the small intestine are stored in the large intestine until eliminated.

Types of Bariatric Weight-loss Surgery

Surgery to promote weight loss by restricting food intake or interrupting digestive processes is an option for clinically severe obese people. Bariatric surgery is the standard of care when other medically supervised methods have failed, and it offers the best option of long-term weight control for those with clinically severe obesity.

The bariatric surgeons at St. Vincent's Medical Center perform many types of weight-loss surgeries. They use techniques that produce weight loss primarily by limiting how much the stomach can hold. All bariatric surgeries are done laparoscopically unless the open procedure is deemed necessary.

Laparoscopic Surgery

How Do Our Bariatric Surgical Procedures Promote Weight Loss?

Through the process of RESTRICTION -

A. Laparoscopic Gastric Banding Procedure (Lap-Band®, Realize™ Band)
Use of the Laparoscopic Gastric Banding procedure (Lap-Band®, Realize™ Band) limits the amount of food the stomach can hold (restriction) by Laparoscopic Gastric Banding, placing an inflatable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach. This surgery is done laparoscopically and is considered minimally invasive.

The surgeon will make a small tunnel behind the top of the stomach to guide the band through and wrap it around the upper part of the stomach. The band is then locked in place and connected by tubing to an access port that is placed beneath the skin. The band is adjustable and is filled with saline to create a new small stomach pouch above the larger part of the stomach. Adjustments of the band (or "fills") will start 6 weeks following surgery.

The band is considered a "tool" which helps you achieve sustained weight loss by limiting how much you can eat, reducing your appetite and slowing digestion. Patients report feeling full and satisfied after a small amount of food, and not feeling excessively hungry most of the time.

B. Sleeve Gastrectomy Procedure
During the Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure, the surgeon creates a smaller stomach pouch to produce restriction but without affecting the food's normal transit through the stomach and small intestine. The surgery is done laparoscopically through several small incisions.

The stomach, which is normally shaped like a kidney bean, is stapled off to create a smaller tube or "sleeve", and the remaining stomach is removed.
Unlike the gastric bypass procedure, there is no re-routing of the small intestine and therefore less malabsorption and nutritional deficiency risk. The resulted weight loss is primarily due to limiting the amount of food that can be taken in (restriction).

As with all bariatric procedures, the sleeve gastrectomy is a "tool" and success is dependent on adherence to diet, exercise, support and counseling to achieve maximum results.

C. Through the process of RESTRICTION AND MALABSORPTION
In the Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass procedure, the surgeon creates a smaller stomach pouch with the existing stomach and then bypasses the larger portion of the stomach and part of the small intestine (duodenum and some of the jejunum). The newly created pouch is then attached to a part of the intestine below the bypass. This limits the amount of food the stomach can hold (restriction) and causes food that is eaten to be poorly digested and absorbed (malabsorption). The result is that the patient cannot eat as much and they absorb fewer nutrients and calories.

Patients report a feeling of fullness right after surgery. In the beginning, a patient may only be able to consume ¾ cup of food at one sitting. This will increase to 1-2 cups after 1-2 years. It is important to remember that this weight-loss surgery, like all others, is considered a "tool", and one must adhere to diet, exercise, support and counseling to achieve maximum results.

Vitamin and mineral supplements and a high protein intake will be required for life to prevent nutritional deficiencies.

Ready to take the next step? Learn more!

Please attend one of our free wight-loss seminars in Connecticut to learn if you're a candidate for weight-loss surgery and whether we are the program for you. At St. Vincent’s Bariatric Surgery Center, the patient always comes first, and we are happy to assist you by phone, by email or in person with the utmost respect and integrity.

 

Call us to learn more: 877-255-7847