Types of Weight Loss Surgery

Many people struggle with their weight for years before looking into the various types of bariatric surgery available today. Learn about the weight loss surgery procedures doctors perform; then consult a bariatric surgeon in your area to find out if you are a good candidate for treatment.

Restrictive versus Malabsorptive Surgery

There are a number of weight loss surgery procedures available to treat obesity. Bariatric surgery has two primary approaches to achieve weight loss, and treatment typically emphasizes either the restrictive or malabsorptive approach or a combination of the two.

Restrictive Weight Loss Surgery

This type of bariatric surgery involves closing off parts of the stomach to make it smaller, thus decreasing the amount of food that can be eaten. The LAP-BAND® and Vertical Banded Gastroplasty procedures are restrictive types of bariatric surgery.

LAP-BAND® Surgery

The Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band procedure, more commonly known as LAP-BAND® surgery, is growing in popularity. This restrictive procedure involves using a Silastic® band to create a smaller stomach pouch, causing patients to become full after eating a minimal amount of food. To learn more about this procedure, please visit our LAP-BAND® page.

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG)

The Vertical Banded Gastroplasty weight loss surgery procedure creates a smaller stomach pouch by stapling off a section of the stomach, then using a band to restrict the passage of food out of the pouch. After stomach stapling, the patient is unable to consume large amounts of food in one sitting. Once the food leaves the pouch, it goes through the normal digestive tract.

Malabsorptive Weight Loss Surgery

This weight loss surgery approach entails altering the digestive system to decrease the body's ability to absorb calories. The Biliopancreatic Diversion and Extended (Distal) Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass procedures are malabsorptive types of bariatric surgery.

Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD)

Biliopancreatic Diversion involves first creating a reduced stomach pouch and then diverting the digestive juices in the small intestine. The first part of the small intestine, where most of the calories are normally absorbed, is bypassed. That section, which contains the bile and pancreatic juices, is reattached to the small intestine much further down. There is a variation of this procedure called Biliopancreatic Diversion with "Duodenal Switch." This operation utilizes a larger stomach "sleeve" and leaves the beginning of the duodenum attached, but is otherwise very similar to standard BPD.

Extended (Distal) Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGBP-E)

This weight loss surgery procedure is a variation of the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass operation. It differs in that a somewhat larger stomach pouch is created, but a significantly longer section of the small intestine is bypassed. There is less emphasis on restricting food intake quantity and more on inhibiting the body's ability to absorb calories.

The Combined Approach - Restrictive and Malabsorptive Surgery

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure is a combination operation in which stomach restriction and a partial bypass of the small intestine work in tandem as one of the most effective treatments for severe obesity.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

The most commonly performed weight loss surgery in the United States is Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. This operation involves severely restricting the size of the stomach and altering the small intestine so that caloric absorption is inhibited. To learn more, visit our gastric bypass surgery page.

Open versus Laparoscopic Surgery

There are also varying techniques that can be used during bariatric surgery procedures. The two techniques are laparoscopic and open bariatric surgery.

Open Bariatric Surgery

While laparoscopic bariatric surgery can be performed through several small incisions in the stomach area, open bariatric surgery requires one larger incision that begins directly below the patient's breastbone and ends just above the navel. While both the open and laparoscopic procedures produce similar long term results, open bariatric surgery is associated with a longer recovery period.

Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery

As opposed to "open" bariatric surgery, laparoscopic bariatric surgery involves making several small incisions and performing the operation by video camera. A laparoscope, the device used to capture the video, is inserted through an abdominal incision. This provides the bariatric surgeon a magnified view inside the abdomen, allowing the operation to be performed using special surgical instruments and a television monitor.

The long-term results for laparoscopic bariatric surgery and gastric bypass surgery should be similar to those for open procedures. The advantages of the laparoscopic approach include less post-operative pain, a shorter recovery period, and less extensive scarring.

Discuss Your Options with a Bariatric Surgeon near You

Learn more about weight loss surgery procedures like laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery and LAP-BAND®. Contact one of the highly qualified and experienced bariatric surgeons in your region to learn more about the treatments available for obesity.