If you are among the millions of Americans who are struggling with obesity, and you’ve been unable to successfully manage your weight through exercise and dieting, you might be considering your weight loss surgery options.
Here at Destination Weight Loss, our team of experienced, compassionate bariatric surgeons,surgical assistants, and registered nurses are all committed to helping patients like you achieve a sustainable, healthy body weight through bariatric surgery options, weekly support groups, patient education, and ongoing assistance.
How Weight Loss Surgery Works
Bariatric surgery can help you reduce and control your body mass index (BMI) (see our BMI calculator), leading to a lowered risk of comorbid conditions related to obesity like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer. Weight loss surgery either restricts your gastrointestinal tract and/or alters the way your body absorbs and metabolizes food, which significantly limits the amount of food and drink one can consume following a surgical weight loss procedure.
Types of Weight Loss Surgery
We offer three different types of bariatric surgery, all of which are performed using state-of-the-art, minimally-invasive laparoscopic (‘keyhole’) techniques to reduce surgical risks and improve patient outcomes.
LAP-BAND Surgery
Also known as ‘gastric banding’, during a LAP-BAND bariatric procedure the surgeon fits a small, inflatable silicone band around the upper portion of the intestines to restrict the capacity of the stomach. A discreet access port is installed just below the abdomen to allow your doctor to make adjustments after the surgery by injecting and removing saline from the inflatable band.
The lap-band is unique among weight loss surgery options in that the procedure is fully reversible, as no permanent alterations are made to the stomach. In most cases, this bariatric surgery can be completed in less than an hour on an outpatient basis.
Gastric Bypass Surgery
Our surgeons use the Roux-en-Y method of gastric bypass, which involves surgically re-routing the stomach to both dramatically reduce the volume of food that the stomach can hold, and minimize the amount of fat absorption.
This permanent weight loss surgery both restricts food intake, and also helps to control hunger by altering the sense of fullness and satisfaction that patients previously associated with eating large quantities of food.
Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery
Also known as a vertical sleeve or gastric sleeve, this type of weight loss surgery involves the complete and permanent removal of approximately 75-80 percent of the stomach. As a result, patients are left with a stomach pouch that holds far less food, leading to a reduction in overall caloric intake.
Patients who have had a sleeve gastrectomy report feeling full after eating only a small amount of food; this is a result of both the decreased capacity of the stomach and the significant changes to the hormones in the gut that trigger food cravings.
Learn More
To learn more about your weight loss surgery options,contact us today to enroll in our complimentary online weight loss surgery seminar, or to book your personal consultation with one of our bariatric surgery specialists.
