The general acceptance of bariatric surgery has enabled obese people worldwide to once again lead normal, productive lives. These surgeries are generally categorized as a group of operative interventions used to treat morbid obesity, a condition which was only recently recognized as a true disease. Although many people don’t understand the implications of severe obesity, medical problems related to obesity may be severely disabling and cause life threatening conditions.

Bariatric surgery is not something that should be rushed. The operations are reserved for patients who are severely overweight and who understand both the risks of the operation and the benefits. One must commit to a thorough change of lifestyle both before and after the surgery. Additionally, a doctor needs to recommend it – as it is not cosmetic surgery and doesn’t involve the removal of fat.

Bariatric surgeries generally work in two ways – either by limiting the amount of food you can physically put into your stomach, or by intentionally making your small intestine absorb less nutrients. The former is achieved by a gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrostomy or laparoscopic gastric banding. All three procedures will make you feel full faster, which will result in you eating less food. It is crucial to follow the operation with a change of lifestyle in order to reap and maintain the benefits of this surgery.

Is there an online support system of call center if I can't make it to group?

If you are unable to attend a group meeting you can call the office or email questions at any time. You can schedule a phone consult with the dietitian during office hours. You will not have the same experience as meeting with other patients in person. You may benefit from listening to their ideas and questions as well. There is no sense of urgency for the group meetings and you can come when it is convenient for you to attend.

Microbiome

The human microbiome comprises all the microorganisms living on and in the human body. Though the significance of microbes as mediators of health and disease has long been established, recent advances in genetic sequencing are providing new insights into the function and composition of what is now recognized as an additional human organ. In particular, the microbial inhabitants of the gut (the gut microbiota) are thought to play a part in the development of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes.

Revisional Bariatric Surgery

Current thinking is that revisional operations do not work very well and for that reason they are reserved for unique cases. As with many things in surgery, much depends on the circumstances and the available options, some of which we’ll describe below. In any case, I strongly suggest that patients return to their original surgeon who performed their first operation, as every surgeon individualizes the digestive arrangements in a particular manner. The only revisional operation I regularly perform is for patients who have a failed laparoscopic gastric banding. Those patients may benefit from having the band removed and then converting to a gastric bypass or a gastric sleeve.

What Digestive Changes Occur After Lap-Band Surgery

How Does a Lap-band Affect Dieting and Help Weight Loss?

Most people choose bariatric surgery, a gastric lap-band included, as a physical solution to a medically serious and seemingly intractable weight problem. With the emphasis on the procedure, it’s very easy to think of the lap-band itself as a device that does all the work necessary to lose substantial weight.

Lap - Band Surgery

Laparoscopic gastric banding is a surgery that reduces the capacity of the stomach with the help of a silicone ring and an inflatable balloon that is fitted on the outside of the stomach. The balloon inflates with the injection of fluid through the injection port. This narrows the opening of the upper pouch, wherein the amount of food you eat is controlled while the emptying process of the stomach pouch is slowed.

Theoretic Hormonal Impact of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery

Classified as a restrictive procedure, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy involves modification of the gastric fundus, which expresses various hormones associated with hunger and satiety, insulin secretion and energy balance, and is known to induce rates of type 2 diabetes remission comparable to those observed following malabsorbtive procedures such as the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

Surgical Steps of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy requires changing the stomach from the size of a football to the size and shape of a banana. A small gastric reservoir is created that reduces the stomach size to 60-150 ml.

What Digestive Changes Occur After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

How Does a Gastric Sleeve Affect Dieting and Help Weight Loss?

The goal of all bariatric surgery is to provide a physical change in the digestive system that helps people lose substantial weight.

Sleeve

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a restrictive procedure that reduces the size of the stomach but does not alter the gastrointestinal tract or the pylorus. Because the route of ingested food through the gastrointestinal tract is not altered, nutrients are better absorbed. The patient is less dependent on vitamin supplements as the food is absorbed in a more natural manner.

Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Video

This video demonstrates Dr. Belsley performing a laparoscopic retrocolic, retrogastric gastric bypass with a hand-sewn gastrojejunostomy. Please note that this video contains scenes from a real operation and therefore contains images that could be unsettling. Please watch at your own discretion.

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