For committed patients who have been unable to lose weight via other methods, bariatric surgery can help produce rapid, long-term weight loss.
Each of the several options for bariatric surgery has advantages and disadvantages based on individual patients’ goals and preferences. Three of the most common of these procedures are Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and adjustable gastric banding (AGB).
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
Gastric bypass is the most common form of bariatric surgery, and it involves dividing the stomach to create a smaller pouch, and then connecting this pouch directly to the lower portion of the small intestine. The remaining, larger piece of the stomach and upper small intestine are reconnected to a lower portion of the small intestine so digestive enzymes and food still mix.
Reducing the size of the stomach pouch means patients feel fuller after eating less food. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) says over the long term, losing 50 percent excess body weight is typical, but some patients lose 60 to 80 percent of their excess weight.
Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
Sleeve gastrectomy is similar to gastric bypass in that the surgery removes a large portion of the stomach via a minimally invasive series of small incisions. The remaining stomach portion is about the size of a banana, but this surgery leaves the intestines unaffected. After a sleeve gastrectomy, patients lose weight quickly, and long-term weight loss averages more than 50 percent of excess body weight, according to the ASMBS.