Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery, or most commonly known as weight loss surgery, includes a variety of procedures that are performed on people who are obese. Weight loss is achieved by reducing the size of the stomach with a gastric banding in medical terms, which is actually an implanted medical device, or through removal of a portion of the stomach
(this procedure is called sleeve gastrectomy) or by re-routing the small intestines to a small stomach pouch, this would be the commonly know gastric bypass surgery. Long-term studies show the procedures cause significant long-term loss of weight, recovery from diabetes, improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, and a reduction in mortality of 23% from 40%.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health recommends bariatric surgery for obese people with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 40, and for people with BMI 35 and serious coexisting medical conditions such as diabetes. However, research is emerging that suggests bariatric surgery could be appropriate for those with a BMI of 35 to 40.
Surgery should be considered as a treatment option for patients with approximately a BMI of 40 kg/m2 and who present with obesity-related comorbid conditions, such as hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and obstructive sleep apnea, among others.
Patients should be referred to state of the art centers with surgeons experienced in bariatric surgery. Premiere Medicine would know who exactly fits your medical needs, the right doctor, the right type of Hospital or Clinic, procedure, even the right destination for you, to explore its culture, seizing the day!
Below a description of the most common procedures:
Gastric Sleeve
Sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric sleeve, is a surgical weight-loss procedure in which the stomach is reduced to approximately 15% of its original size, by surgical removal of a large portion of the stomach, following the major curve. The open edges are then attached together (typically with surgical staples, sutures, or in some cases both) to leave the stomach shaped more like a tube, or a sleeve, with a banana shape. The procedure permanently reduces the size of the stomach. The procedure is performed laparoscopically and is not reversible.
Laparoscopic Lap Band
A laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, commonly referred to as a lap band, is an inflatable silicone device that is placed around the top portion of the stomach, via laparoscopic surgery, in order to treat obesity. Adjustable gastric band surgery is an example of bariatric surgery designed for obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater—or between 35–40 in cases of patients with certain comorbiditie that are known to improve with weight loss.Gastric bypass
A common form of gastric bypass surgery is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Here, a small stomach pouch is created with a stapler device, and connected to the distal small intestine. The upper part of the small intestine is then reattached in a Y-shaped configuration.The gastric bypass had been the most commonly performed operation for weight loss in the United States, and approximately 140,000 gastric bypass procedures were performed in 2005, dwarfing the number of Lap-Band, duodenal switch and vertical banded gastroplasty procedures. The gastric bypass operation is considered the "gold standard" in the U.S. A factor in the success of any bariatric surgery is strict post-surgical adherence to a healthier pattern of eating.
There are several other procedures for weight loss surgery, if you have questions about any other type of procedure for bariatric surgery, please contact Premiere Medicine directly, we will further assist you and provide more information accordingly.
