Three Weight Loss Procedures

Wesley offers three kinds of weight loss surgery: gastric bypass (laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass), LAP-BAND® or Realize™, (laparoscopic adjustable gastric band) and sleeve gastrectomy. All three procedures are highly effective.

Roux-en-Y

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass divides the stomach with state-of-the-art surgical stapling devices to create a smaller gastric pouch and a larger gastric remnant. The gastric pouch, about the size of an egg, holds a small amount of food that travels through a newly created connection with the small intestine. The larger gastric remnant maintains its natural connection with the small intestine to deliver necessary digestive juices, but it no longer stores ingested food. The hospital stay for a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass averages two to three days.

 

Gastric Band

Gastric band surgery does not alter gastrointestinal anatomy. Instead, an adjustable band is placed near the entrance of the stomach to create a virtual gastric pouch slightly larger than a golf ball. Digestion is exactly the same after surgery as before the surgery. The band is connected to an adjustment port hidden deep within the skin of the abdomen. This port is accessed in the surgeon’s office to adjust the degree of restriction required to aid weight loss. The gastric band surgery is an outpatient procedure.

 

 

Sleeve Gastrectomy

Sleeve gastrectomy is a restrictive type of weight loss surgery that permanently reduces the size of the stomach. It promotes weight loss by limiting food intake and lessening the sensation of hunger. It does not involve intestinal rerouting. The bariatric surgeon removes approximately 60 to 80 percent of the stomach along the greater curvature, leaving a small tube, or sleeve, that extends from the natural stomach opening to the natural stomach outlet (pyloric valve).

The procedure helps limit eating by reducing the overall size of the stomach and control hunger by removing the part of the stomach that produces the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin. Because part of the stomach is physically removed from the body, the surgery is irreversible. The hospital stay is one to two days.

 

None of these surgeries can be considered a cure for obesity; rather, surgery is the first step toward healthier lifestyle choices. Follow-up nutrition counseling, exercise programs and peer support are essential to achieving optimal weight loss results.

To learn more about all of these procedures call 316.962.2066.