Weight loss surgery

Body mass index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. Find out your BMI so you can fully understand your potential options for weight loss management.

As a bariatric patient, you will receive ongoing support from our weight loss coaches. This includes:

• Seminars or webinars about weight loss surgery options before you choose a procedure
• Classes with dietitians and exercise physiologists
• Education and counseling about diet, lifestyle changes and weight loss medication
• Post-surgery classes or support groups to assist in maintaining a healthy weight after surgery

Our medical weight-loss programs provide treatment in a clinical setting with a licensed healthcare professional, such as a doctor, registered dietitian and/or a psychologist. These programs offer services including nutrition, physical activity and behavioral modification counseling. Our weight loss management programs are rooted in carefully crafted activity plans and also may involve discussion of utilization of pharmacotherapy or weight-loss medications.

While weight loss surgery should often be treated as a last resort, for many patients, it is an absolute necessity. Knowing and understanding the risks and components of particular surgeries is beneficial for a successful weight loss journey, and they should be discussed at length with your bariatric surgeon.

A duodenal switch limits how much you can eat. The procedure involves two steps: sleeve gastrectomy followed by the connecting of the intestine to the duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine immediately beyond the stomach.

Ideal candidates for a duodenal switch include patients with a BMI that is greater than 55.

Gastric bypass limits how much food you need to feel full and allows ingested food to bypass some parts of the stomach and small intestine. This reduces the amount of calories you get from eating, and it causes gut hormones to release earlier, making you feel less hungry. This procedure is considered a treatment for metabolic syndrome and can also eliminate the need for reflux medications.

During gastric bypass surgery, the stomach is divided into upper and lower pouches. Then, the small intestines are modified to connect to both stomach pouches.

Ideal candidates include patients with a BMI greater than 35 with additional conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or sleep apnea.

An intragastric balloon is inserted orally, guided through your esophagus and placed directly into your stomach. This is an outpatient procedure that can be completed in approximately 20 minutes.

The balloon stays in place for six months and during this time, you will fill fuller faster. The reduced intake of food helps facilitate weight loss.

Revision surgery is a "corrective procedure." This means a bariatric surgeon may perform this type of operation in order to:

• Correct issues associated with weight loss surgery, such as a slipped gastric band or an enlarged stomach pouch
• Correct issues preventing weight loss, such as the intestines absorbing too many calories
• Correct medical complications resulting from surgery, such as bone loss or not absorbing vitamins and minerals correctly

A sleeve gastrectomy limits the amount of food you can eat; however, unlike lap banding or gastric bypass, approximately 80 percent of your stomach ends up being removed. This achieves weight loss through reduced food intake and hormonal changes.

Like gastric bypass, ideal candidates include patients with a BMI greater than 35 and with additional conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or sleep apnea. A sleeve gastrectomy is also considered a treatment for metabolic syndrome.