Weight loss surgery can not only help you lose weight, but also improve other issues arising from obesity. As a consequence, it can extend many years to your life. If you are thinking about taking this beneficial step, you may be wondering: what are the different types of weight loss surgeries available to me?
Most Common Types
There are three main types of weight loss surgeries performed by surgeons today, and one other which is less common. We can look at them all.
Gastric Sleeve
The most commonly performed bariatric surgery is the gastric sleeve. This procedure removes most of your stomach with only a banana shaped section left which is closed with staples. That way only a certain amount of food fits into your stomach so you automatically feel full much sooner.
The type of surgery reduces hunger hormones that come from the stomach and stabilizes your metabolism, decreasing appetite and regulating blood sugar.
Unfortunately, you cannot reverse this procedure because your stomach has been permanently removed, but there is little risk of complications.
Gastric Bypass
This procedure is performed in three steps:
- Your surgeon will staple your stomach to create a small pouch in the upper section. The goal is to make your stomach smaller and create a Y shape to the small intestine.
- Second, the surgeon divides the small intestine into two parts and attaches the lower part to the stomach pouch. That way the food will bypass most of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine, and your body absorbs less calories.
- Food will now flow through a new smaller stomach and lower segment of the small intestine bypassing the rest. This restricts how much your stomach can hold and how much nutrition your small intestine can absorb.
Adjustable Gastric Band
With this kind of surgery, Dr. Cameron Askew places a ring with an inner inflatable band around your stomach separating it into two sections. The band is full of saline solution which can be increased or decreased. The band will make you feel full in a shorter amount of time and with less food.
The two sections are still connected by a small channel. The band can be adjusted by Dr. Cameron Askew in our office in Birmingham, AL. To tighten the band and restrict the size of your stomach, more saline can be injected. To loosen it, a needle will remove some of the liquid.
Duodenal Switch
BPD/DS-S, often called Duodenal Switch, involves both restrictive and malabsorptive techniques. It is similar to gastric bypass but with a more aggressive malabsorptive component. The proper candidate has a BMI over 50 and typically also has comorbid conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Weight loss surgery is a tool used to lose weight in conjunction with a diet plan and an exercise program.
Contact Dr. Cameron Askew at (205) 874-9780 to discuss which type of weight loss surgery is right for you.