Advances in weight loss surgery have provided patients with several bariatric procedures to chose from. According to surgeons at the New York University Medical Center, no one type of surgery is better than another, and all have similar risks and side effects. The type of surgery you choose is based on a number of factors, such as your BMI, your eating habits, your age and your medical insurance coverage. Your doctors will also take your personal preferences into account as they make their recommendations, so getting informed about the different types of bariatric surgery is an important step.
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RGB) is the most commonly performed type of bariatric surgery. During this procedure, surgeons use staples to create a stomach pouch that can hold approximately 1/2 to 1 oz. of food. The rest of the stomach is sealed off and no longer used. Surgeons then divide and cut the small intestine, attaching the bottom length of intestine to the new stomach pouch. The top length of small intestine (still attached to the old stomach) is stapled to the new, active small intestine, creating the signature "Y" shape.
Gastric Banding
Gastric banding is popular because it is viewed as a reversible procedure. During banding, surgeons apply a flexible, adjustable band around the upper portion of the stomach. They also place a port somewhere along the patient's abdomen, and connect the port to the band. Through the port, doctors fill or remove saline from the band to make the stomach opening larger or smaller. A larger opening allows food to travel from the pouch to the lower stomach more quickly, allowing patients to eat more. A smaller band is more restrictive and makes patients feel full faster and longer. Doctors can add or remove fluid often, creating a custom weight loss experience. If patients no longer wish to use a lap band, surgeons can completely remove it.
Vertical Banded Gastroplasty
Vertical banded gastroplasty is a procedure that combines stomach-changing elements of both Roux-en-Y and gastric banding. Rather than detaching the stomach pouch from the remaining stomach, this procedure creates a small, circular window in the stomach tissue. Next to this window, the stomach is banded. The top of the window is stapled, blocking food's access to stomach pouch. This method solves a common banding problem: slippage. Because the band is built into the stomach rather on top of it, it's more likely to stay in place.
DISTAL Gastric Bypass
In duodenal switch, biliopancreatic division (DISTAL), surgeons create a small stomach pouch above the valve that allows food into the small intestine. Next, the remaining stomach is removed from the body. Surgeons attach the pouch to a small piece of small intestine. According to the University of Toledo Medical Center, this procedure carries the highest risk of malnutrition and should only be used in extreme cases.
Vertical Sleeve Gastroectomy (Stomach Stapling)
Stomach stapling is just that---surgeons use staples to divide your stomach into an upper and a lower portion. They leave a small space on one side of the stomach so food can pass from the smaller top section to the larger lower section of stomach. Patients can only eat as much as the small upper stomach holds. This procedure doesn't involve moving or attaching intestines, as food passes through the whole stomach, as with gastric banding. The procedure gets its name from the small sleeve-like upper stomach created by the staple divide.
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