4 Weight Loss Surgery Treatments

When weight loss surgery was introduced a few decades ago, its sole purpose was to help people lose weight. Today, it does a lot more than just that. Weight loss surgery has been shown to improve symptoms of weight-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, acid reflux, sleep apnea and heart disease. What’s more, doctors can now tackle weight from multiple angles, making almost any case of overweightness or obesity remediable by surgery.

We have discussed below the main types of weight loss surgery offered at El Paso Bariatric. Read on to get an insight into the specific types of weight loss surgery before deciding on which one you think suits you best.

1) Gastric Bypass

Gastric bypass is performed to limit the amount of food your stomach can hold. The surgeon creates a pouch at the top end of your stomach, to which the small intestine is cut and connected. Food thus flows into the intestines without getting into the main part of the stomach, effectively reducing the amount of food you can take per sitting and, consequently, the amount of calories your body absorbs.

This may be the best type of surgery if you have acid reflux as it reduces the upward pressure that pushes up stomach content into the esophagus.

2) Sleeve Gastrectomy

This procedure is pretty similar to gastric bypass, except for the fact that the cut portion of the stomach is removed entirely from the body. The objective is straightforward – to physically reduce the size of the stomach, so you get full without eating much. The surgery also reduces one’s urge to eat as the hormone that alerts the brain when one gets hungry is located in the section of the stomach that is cut off.

Sleeve gastrectomy heals more quickly than gastric bypass and is suitable for people who have had multiple other surgeries in the abdominal area.

3) Adjustable Gastric Band

In this, an inflatable balloon is placed inside a silicone ring, which is attached to the upper part of the stomach. A small tubing is attached to the balloon with one of its endings connected to a port placed under the skin in the abdomen.

Using the port, the surgeon can modulate the diameter of the opening at the top of the stomach and to create a pouch where food sits for a while after a meal so the individual feels full faster.

4) Biliopancreactic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS)

The BPD/DS involves two procedures: a sleeve gastrectomy – where part of the stomach is tied into a banana shaped pouch – followed by the surgical attachment of the small intestine to the pouch. It is known as a malabsorptive surgery as it is designed to regulate the amount of calories absorbed along the gut. It makes the food storage part of the stomach much smaller and makes the food reach the small intestine faster.

Bariatric Surgery in El Paso

Weight loss surgery is the way to go if you’re looking for a quick and effective way of shed the few extra pounds. Call (915) 351-6020 today to schedule a consultation with one of the best bariatric surgeons in El Paso.