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Types of Obesity Surgery

There are several types of bariatric, or weight-loss, surgeries. Each procedure decreases the shape and size of the stomach to reduce the amount of food the patient consumes. Some operations are rarely performed, while others are meant only for the severely obese. Each type of bariatric surgery has its own advantages and disadvantages, so people considering surgery should further discuss their options with a doctor.

  1. Gastric Bypass

    • Gastric bypass is a complicated surgery that can last up to four hours. The most common type of gastric bypass is Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass, which is performed with one long incision. Using staples or a plastic band, a surgeon makes a small pouch at the top of the stomach. This smaller stomach is connected to the section of the small intestine called the jejunum. With this rearrangement, food bypasses the rest of the stomach. The patient feels full more quickly, so fewer calories are consumed and absorbed by the body.

    Gastric Banding

    • Made of inflatable silicone, gastric bands restrict the stomach. Using one of the two types of gastric bands available in the United States (the Lap-Band System or the Realize Band), a surgeon wraps a band around the top section of a patient's stomach by means of laparoscopic surgery. The band is injected with saline, causing the patient to feel full sooner and eat less. Gastric banding is a less invasive surgery and can often be performed on an outpatient basis. The bands can also be tightened or loosened as needed.

    Duodenal Switch

    • The duodenal switch combines two surgical approaches. First, a surgeon removes about 85 percent of the stomach. What is left is shaped like a banana, about 6 ounces in size. Next, a large section of the small intestine, the section where most digestion occurs, is cut out and bypassed. With a smaller remaining section of the intestines involved in digestion, not as many nutrients and calories can be absorbed, so patients lose weight.

    Gastric Sleeve Surgery

    • Gastric sleeve surgery is a newer type of weight-loss surgery. The laparoscopic procedure is typically used to kick-start weight loss for the extremely obese---people who are too overweight to withstand more invasive surgeries. During a gastric sleeve operation, a surgeon removes more than half of the patient's stomach. What's left takes a sleeve- or tube-like shape, and it is sealed with staples. When the patient has lost enough weight, he or she may then undergo gastric bypass or another type of weight-loss surgery.

    Gastroplasty

    • Gastroplasty, also known as "stomach stapling," was once a popular type of weight-loss surgery. The original gastroplasty debuted in the 1970s. It involved stapling the stomach into a smaller section, so only a small opening was left for food. Surgeons eventually began performing Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG). In this type of surgery, both staples and a band are used to reshape the patient's stomach into a small pouch. Like regular gastroplasty, only a small hole is left for food to travel into the rest of the stomach. Today, gastroplasty is not performed as often, as studies indicate many patients regain weight.

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