BARIATRIC SURGERY

What is bariatric surgery?

Bariatric surgery refers to several procedures that help you lose weight. Some surgeries reduce the size of your stomach; others change your stomach and limit calorie absorption.

To qualify for bariatric surgery, you should have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or be more than 100 pounds over your healthy weight.

Alternatively, you may have a BMI of 35-39 if you also have a weight-related health condition, such as:

Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Obstructive sleep apnea
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Osteoarthritis
Heart disease
High blood cholesterol

You should have tried to lose weight through diet and exercise before considering bariatric surgery.

How do I prepare for bariatric surgery?

You begin your weight loss journey before surgery. You meet with a registered dietitian to get a diet and exercise plan to help you lose 5-10% of your body weight before your procedure.

In addition to making surgery safer, losing weight builds the new habits that support weight loss after your bariatric procedure. Though most people lose weight swiftly after surgery, you can just as quickly regain the pounds if you don’t stick with a diet and exercise regimen.

What type of bariatric surgery will I receive?

Southwest Surgical Associates performs a gastric sleeve resection (sleeve gastrectomy). During a gastric sleeve procedure, your surgeon removes about two-thirds of the left side of your stomach. This creates a tube- or sleeve-shaped stomach and helps you lose weight by:

Reducing food intake

With a smaller stomach, you consume fewer calories because you feel full after eating a tiny amount.

Changing your hormones

Your surgeon removes the part of your stomach that produces hunger hormones. With fewer hormones, you don’t feel as hungry.

What happens during bariatric surgery?

The surgeons at Southwest Surgical Associates perform your gastric sleeve with minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. Your surgeon inserts a narrow laparoscope through a tiny incision. A video camera in the scope sends magnified images of your stomach to a television monitor in the operating room.

Then your surgeon inserts additional instruments through a few other small incisions. They safely remove part of your stomach by controlling the instruments from outside your body while viewing the monitor.

You can have a gastric sleeve resection as a standalone procedure. It can also be the first step toward other bariatric procedures (gastric bypass and duodenal switch) after you lose enough weight to have a more complex surgery safely.

If you’re considering bariatric surgery, call Southwest Surgical Associates or book an appointment online today.

After deciding to have bariatric surgery, many patients choose the most common procedure: gastric sleeve resection. After the board-certified surgeons at Southwest Surgical Associates perform a gastric sleeve, most patients lose 30-50% of their excess body weight over 6-12 months.

This bariatric procedure also helps improve conditions like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea. If you’re considering weight loss surgery, call the office in Cypress, Katy, Sugarland, Pearland, or Houston, Texas, or book a consultation online today.