Bariatric (weight loss) surgery has been shown to be very effective in improving, and sometimes relieving, many medical conditions (adult onset diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol/triglycerides, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, abnormal menses/ infertility, stroke, heart disease, early death) associated with severe obesity. Typically, one will see a 40 to 70 percent excess weight loss, which is dependent on the procedure and the individual response.

To find out if you are a candidate for a bariatric procedure, please calculate your body mass index using the BMI Calculator. Typical candidates have a BMI of 40 or higher. Those between 35-40 will also need to have significant weight-related medical conditions.

Register for a free bariatric (surgical weight loss) educational seminar.

The bariatric team at WESTMED will lead the prospective candidate through the process of determination of the appropriate intervention, from medically supervised weight loss to weight loss surgery. The bariatric team includes medical and surgical physicians, nurses, dieticians, psychologists, and support groups.

The vast majority of the procedures are done using laparoscopic surgery that leaves minimal scars. This technique leads to improved safety, is less painful, and associated with earlier return to usual activities than traditional “open" surgery.

The procedures offered are:

(1) Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band: a device with an adjustable reservoir is inserted around the upper stomach, which makes the stomach smaller, restricting the amount of food that can be eaten. You get a sensation of fullness with less food. Office visits (adjustments) are needed to add or remove saline to meet your specific needs.

(2) Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass: The upper stomach is divided and a small pouch is made (this leads to an earlier sense of fullness with less food intake). A section of the upper small intestine is then attached to this pouch, which allows the food to bypass most of the stomach and part of the upper small intestine. This bypass leads to less absorption of calories. This procedure leads to less food intake and less calorie absorption.

(3) Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: The stomach is made smaller by surgically removing a section involved in holding food and controlling hunger. The result is a stomach which much more narrow and fills with much less food. Like a band procedure, there is no bypassing of the intestines and no connections are made. Unlike a band, there are no adjustments that are made. 5-year results are quite good, but more long-term outcomes are still to be determined.