Surgical Weight Loss Options

Our surgeons specialize in Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding and Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, and Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy surgeries. Patients who have laparoscopic weight-loss surgery instead of “open” surgery typically experience less pain and recover more quickly.

If you are a candidate for weight-loss surgery, you, with input from your Lehigh Bariatric surgeon, will decide which surgical option is best for you. Keep in mind that weight-loss surgery, just like any other type of surgery, has risks and potential complications. In making your decision you have to weigh those risks against the potentially life-threatening risks of obesity.

Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery is very effective for patients who are morbidly obese.

Weight loss of 65 to 80 percent of your excess body weight can be achieved within five years.

During gastric bypass surgery, your LBS surgeon will reform your stomach to create a smaller stomach pouch. A section of the small intestine will be attached directly to the pouch. This allows food to bypass a portion of the small intestine that absorbs calories and nutrients. You will feel fuller sooner and eat less because your stomach pouch holds less food.

Our surgeons specialize in Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. This means they perform the procedure through five or six small incisions instead of through one large incision. The surgery takes between 1 ½ and 3 hours, and you can expect to be in the hospital 1 to 3 days. Because the procedure is minimally invasive, you should have less pain and recover faster than a patient having the procedure through one large incision.

There are short- and long-term risks associated with gastric bypass. Short-term risks include a leak in the surgical connections with the intestines, pulmonary embolism, intra-abdominal abscess, internal hernia/bowel obstruction, wound infection and hair loss. Long-term risks include weight regain, anemia, vitamin and mineral deficiency, kidney stones and gallstones.

Procedure Video

View a side-by-side comparison of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass, Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding and Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve surgeries at the bottom of this page.

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding surgery, also known as Realize™ or LAP-BAND^®, provides gradual, healthy weight loss. It has fewer risks and side effects than traditional gastric bypass surgery. It is considered the least invasive weight-loss surgery because it requires no cutting, stapling of the stomach or re-routing of intestines.

In adjustable gastric banding surgery, a silicone band is fastened around the upper part of your stomach and filled with salt water, creating a small pouch. The band can be adjusted like a belt so you feel full faster.

The band is then connected to a port just under your skin. This allows your surgeon to adjust the band anytime after your surgery until it is a perfect fit for you.

Adjustments are a normal part of having the surgery. The goal is for you to not feel hungry between meals. If you become hungry between meals, your surgeon can adjust the band to limit the amount of food you can eat. If a too tight band is causing side effects, the band can be loosened.

If necessary, the procedure can be completely reversed.

Risks associated with adjustable gastric banding include problems with the band, such as slippage, pouch dilation, dilation of the esophagus, port infection, erosion and incisional hernia.

Procedure Video

View a side-by-side comparison of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass, Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding and Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve surgeries at the bottom of this page.

Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve

Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve surgery is very effective for patients who are morbidly obese.

During the Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy surgery, a thin vertical “sleeve” of the stomach is created using a stapling device. The sleeve is about the size of a banana. The rest of the stomach is removed. By creating a smaller stomach pouch, a Sleeve Gastrectomy limits the amount of food that can be eaten at one time, so you feel full sooner and stay full longer. As you eat less food, your body will stop storing excess calories and start using its fat supply for energy.

Procedure Video

View a side-by-side comparison of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass, Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding and Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve surgeries at the bottom of this page.