Types of Bariatric Procedures
In order to understand how bariatric surgery works, it is important
to understand how the body's gastrointestinal tract works (see diagram
below). After you swallow food it enters the stomach, which acts as a
holding tank for food. From the stomach, small amounts of food are
released into the digestive tract. Bile from the liver and enzymes from
the pancreas enter the duodenum (first part of the small bowel) and aid
in the digestion and absorption of the food. Most absorption of food
takes place in the duodenum.
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
This is the most frequently performed
bariatric procedure, and is considered to be the gold standard in weight
loss surgery. The Roux-en-Y surgery closes off most of the stomach,
through stapling, to decrease the amount of food a patient can eat, and
also rearranges the small intestine to reduce the amount of calories
that a patient's body can absorb.
Adjustable Gastric Banding
This is a laparoscopic procedure in
which the surgeon places an adjustable elastic band around the upper
section of the stomach to create a small pouch that restricts food
passage.
More About Open and Laparoscopic Procedures
Both open and laparoscopic procedures follow the same principles, and
both result in similar excess weight loss in patients. Open bariatric
surgery is performed through one incision that is made from just below
the patient's breastbone to above the navel. During laparoscopic
surgery, small incisions are made to a patient's abdomen and the surgeon
performs the operation with the aid of a small video camera that is
attached to a laparoscope and inserted into one of the incisions. The
surgeon views the video images taken from inside the body on a TV
monitor, and performs the procedure accordingly. Gas is used to expand
the abdomen during surgery.
Open Procedure
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Laparoscopic Procedure
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Laparoscopic surgery generally takes less time to perform than open
surgery and patients recovery times are shorter than with open surgery.
For more information about the types of procedures performed at
Ellis’ Bariatric Care Center, please call 518.243.1313.
*Note: Illustrations on this page provided courtesy of Ethicon
Endo-Surgery, Inc.
- a Johnson and Johnson Company.