Surgical Weight Loss Solutions

Weight loss and keeping the pounds off can be a life-long battle. If you struggle with obesity and have made serious attempts at losing weight through diet and exercise, weight loss surgery—also known as bariatric surgery—could be an option.

Weight loss surgery options we offer, depending on location, include:

• Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
• Gastric sleeve
• Laparoscopic/robotic gastric bypass
• Laparoscopic/robotic gastric sleeve

Surgery procedures are usually performed with minimally invasive techniques.

Bariatric surgery is a major decision, and it is not an immediate or quick fix solution. Our caring physicians are dedicated to helping surgical weight loss patients live a healthy life.

Minimally invasive surgery. Life-changing results

If you're very overweight and can't lose pounds with a healthy diet and exercise, weight loss surgery might be an option for you. The surgery is usually for those with a body mass index (BMI) above 40 or those with a BMI of 35 or greater with serious co-morbidities. In general, this means men who are more than 100 pounds overweight and women who are more than 80 pounds overweight. If you are somewhat less overweight, surgery still might be an option if you suffer from life-threatening pulmonary problems like diabetes, heart disease or sleep apnea.

Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, can promote weight loss by limiting the amount of food your stomach can hold, limiting calorie and nutrient absorption, or both. Some operations also restrict the amount of food you can digest. Restriction operations, such as vertical sleeve gastrectomy, are most often used for producing weight loss. These operations restrict food intake by making the stomach smaller and delaying the emptying of food from the stomach, causing the person to feel fuller faster. These restrictive operations lead to weight loss in almost all patients, but some weight regain occurs because individuals are unable to adjust their eating habits.

Our team will guide you through the surgical process and the recovery options available to maintain your weight loss. Shelby Baptist Medical Center's bariatric surgeons provide two bariatric surgical options, usually performed through minimally invasive or laparoscopic techniques. Talk to your surgeon about which option is best for you.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

RYGB restricts food intake and decreases the absorption of food. The creation of a small pouch excludes most of the stomach, and other parts of the digestive tract are altered to re-route food directly into the small intestine.

Laparoscopic/Robotic Gastric Bypass

Laparoscopic/Robotic Gastric Bypass helps patients with morbid obesity lose significant amounts of weight without gaining it back. Most patients lose 70 to 80 percent of excess body weight and keep it off for more than five years. To be successful long-term, patients must adhere to an active and healthy lifestyle after surgery.

Gastric Sleeve

A GS procedure is when a surgeon creates a small, sleeve-shaped stomach about the size of a banana. A GS process may be the first step in a two-part treatment when a gastric bypass is to be performed later.

Laparoscopic/Robotic Gastric Sleeve

Sleeve gastrectomy induces weight loss by restricting food intake. With this procedure, the surgeon removes approximately 75 to 80 percent of the stomach laparoscopically or robotically so that the stomach takes the shape of a tube or “sleeve.” Gastric bypass results in weight loss by restricting food intake and altering the digestive process.

Weight loss surgery is generally designed for those with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 40, or equal to or greater than 35 with serious co-morbidities. Weight loss surgery is considered safe, but like many types of surgery, it does have risks. Consult with your physician about the risks and benefits of weight loss surgery.