Other Procedures

When diets, exercise programs, and other non-surgical methods fail, patients may want to consider weight loss (Bariatric) surgery. There are several types of operations to treat obesity. They can be classified as restrictive or malabsorptive, and some surgeries are a combination of both. Two of the more common weight loss surgeries performed in the U.S. are the Gastric Bypass (combination) and Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (restrictive), a.k.a. “stomach stapling”. The Gastric Bypass involves cutting, stapling and rerouting of anatomy to limit how the body can absorb nutrients and restrict the amount of food a person can consume. The Vertical Banded Gastroplasty creates a small pouch by stapling the stomach and placing a non-adjustable ring around the outlet of the new pouch.