Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is increasingly used to treat people living with severe obesity. In a 2010 article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Katherine Flegal and colleagues reported 68 percent of adult Americans are overweight, with 34 percent meeting the criteria for obesity. Many disorders are linked to obesity, including type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, polycystic ovary syndrome, urinary stress incontinence, degenerative joint disease and cardiovascular disease. Different kinds of weight loss surgery vary according to the changes made to the digestive organs to facilitate shedding excess weight.
Gastric Band Surgery
The University of Pittsburgh Bariatric Surgery Center explains gastric band surgery involves the placement of an adjustable silicone band around the upper end of the stomach. The placement of the band keeps food in the small, upper end of the stomach temporarily. This causes a feeling of fullness with a small amount of food intake. Gastric band surgery is performed with a laparoscope, an instrument that is inserted into the abdomen through which the surgeon can work without opening the abdominal cavity. The gastric band can be moved to create a larger or smaller upper stomach pouch, depending on an individual's response to the procedure.
Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery, also known as roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RGB), is the most frequently performed bariatric surgery in the United States, reports the Mayo Clinic. Gastric bypass surgery involves creation of a small stomach pouch and rerouting the outflow of food from the new, smaller stomach to the middle section of the small intestine. Bypassing the upper part of the small intestine decreases the amount of nutrients and calories absorbed from consumed food. RGB can be performed laparoscopically or with an open abdominal procedure, explains the University of Virginia Health System.
Sleeve Gastrectomy
With a sleeve gastrectomy, approximately three-quarters of the stomach is removed. By limiting the size of the stomach, the amount of food required to induce a sense of fullness is greatly reduced, explains the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). This procedure may be used in people who are considered too high risk for more extensive gastric bypass surgery. Sleeve gastrectomy may be followed up with a second surgical procedure to further enhance weight loss.
Biliopancreatic Diversion Surgeries
Biliopancreatic diversion surgeries, also known as malabsorptive procedures, involve a sleeve gastrectomy, bypass of most of the small intestine, and rerouting the flow of bile and digestive juices. The revisions to the normal digestive anatomy lead to decreased food intake and markedly decreased absorption of the nutrients and calories absorbed from ingested food. Biliopancreatic diversion surgeries are the most complex of the bariatric surgeries and have the highest rates of complications, according to the University of Pittsburgh Bariatric Surgery Center. These surgeries also typically yield the most rapid and significant weight loss.
References
- The Journal of the American Medical Association: Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, 1999-2008
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Bariatric Surgical Options
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center: Bariatric Surgery
- University of Virginia Health System: Gastric Bypass (Malabsorptive) Surgery
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery
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