Bariatric Surgery Options:
Choosing to undergo weight loss surgery is a very serious decision. There are two primary types of weight loss surgeries performed through the Bariatric Center of Kansas City. The Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and LAP-BAND® procedures are major surgeries and require careful consideration by both the patient and the doctor. As a patient, you need to think about more than just benefits of the surgery – you must consider the risks and the complications. You need to understand what you can expect after surgery. Most importantly, you must be willing to learn how to use your new “tool” correctly and to change your lifestyle for the rest of your life.
Classifications of Surgery
Weight loss surgery has been around since the late 1960s, with operations classified into three main types:
- Restrictive
The amount of food intake is restricted by altering the digestive system, usually by making the stomach into a small pouch through stapling or banding. Examples of these are the LapBand® gastric banding procedure and the Vertical Banded Gastroplasty.
- Malabsorptive
The body's digestive system is altered so that food is poorly digested, so that excess calories in are incompletely absorbed and eliminated in the stool. Purely malabsorptive surgeries can lead to nutritional deficiencies and other health issues. Examples of these are the BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) and BPD with Duodenal Switch. The surgeons of the Bariatric Center of Kansas City do not endorse nor perform these type of surgeries.
- Combination Restrictive/Malabsorptive
Surgical procedures that combine restrictive components with mildly malabsorption characteristics. Example would be Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, performed either laparoscopically or as an open procedure.
At the Bariatric Center of Kansas City, we specialize in the Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and the LapBand Gastric Banding procedures. The LapBand® gastric banding is a restrictive type of weight loss surgery while the Gastric Bypass is primarily restrictive, with some mildly malabsorptive characteristics.
Laparoscopic Weight Loss Surgery
Our surgeons specialize in laparoscopic weight loss surgery. In this surgery, the camera and surgical instruments are inserted into the abdomen through five or six small incisions. This gives the surgeon better visualization of the anatomy and better access to key anatomical parts. The incision positions vary slightly between the Gastric Bypass and the LapBand® procedures. There is no camera used with the LapBand surgery.
Compared with traditional 'open' incisions, laparoscopic surgery with small incisions offers a better surgical outcome. A recent study shows that patients with laparoscopic weight loss surgery experience less pain after surgery resulting in easier breathing and higher overall oxygen levels – and with better healing. There are also fewer wound complications such as infection or hernia with patients returning to normal pre-surgery activity levels more quickly. |
