For some people weight loss surgery can be life changing. Regain control of your health by managing weight-related conditions like diabetes and arthritis, reducing or eliminating medications, and getting back to a full, active life.
Best of all, you don’t have to do it alone. The comprehensive bariatrics program at CommonSpirit Health goes far beyond the operating room to include education classes, nutritional counseling, behavioral health counselors and support groups. You’ll have access to a whole team of bariatrics experts including surgeons and dietitians. They’re with you, body and mind, every step of your weight loss journey.
You may qualify if:
- You have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or weigh at least 100 pounds more than your ideal body weight
- You have a BMI of 35 or higher, and one or more conditions linked to obesity, including diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, arthritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or non-alcoholic liver disease
- You have tried, and failed, to lose weight on your own
Surgeons at our certified, accredited bariatrics centers perform hundreds of procedures per year. They use minimally invasive techniques, including robotic and laparoscopic surgery to reduce complications and scarring and speed your recovery.
Our experienced surgeons perform a variety of weight loss procedures, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, vertical sleeve gastrectomy, and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. Your surgeon will work with you to find the option that’s best for you, your lifestyle, and your health.
Just as importantly, we also have a comprehensive aftercare program. Your bariatrics coordinator will connect you to a specialized team of counselors, dietitians, and more. Together, they’ll support your healthy lifestyle — for years to come.
Gastric bypass
This procedure is also called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. While gastric bypass has been available for more than 50 years, our surgeons use the most updated techniques and technology when they perform it.
When you have a gastric bypass, your surgeon will use staples to create a new, smaller stomach pouch. Because the pouch holds less food than a full stomach, you’ll feel satisfied sooner and consume less. Plus, you’ll absorb less, since food bypasses so much of your digestive tract. Your hormones and metabolism shift too, meaning you may see improvements in conditions like diabetes and acid reflux.
A successful gastric bypass surgery involves long-term lifestyle changes, such as eating smaller meals and exercising . Sticking to your treatment plan, with the help of your team, means you’ll avoid complications.
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
In a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, sometimes just called a sleeve gastrectomy or “sleeve,” your surgeon removes about 80 percent of your stomach. The remaining banana-shaped section is closed off with staples.
The new, smaller stomach holds less food and liquids, so you can’t eat or drink as much. As a result, you’ll lose weight and reduce your blood sugar. Removing a portion of your stomach also decreases levels of hunger hormones.
As with every other type of bariatric surgery, you’ll have to change your lifestyle to have long-term success with a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. This includes eating less and exercising.
Fortunately, your team at CommonSpirit Health will be there to guide you. With their support in developing new habits, you’ll reduce your risk of complications.
Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch
You might hear this procedure referred to by several other names, including:
- biliopancreatic diversion
- duodenal switch
- mixed surgery
- biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch
As some of the names suggest, biliopancreatic diversion is two procedures in one. First, your surgeon will remove about 80 percent of your stomach, leaving a tube-shaped stomach pouch. This is similar to a sleeve gastrectomy.
Then, your small intestine is divided in two. The top portion is separated from the stomach. The second, lower portion is then brought up and connected to the pouch. This way, the food you eat bypasses about three-fourths of your small intestine.
Not only does your stomach pouch hold less, your body will absorb fewer of the foods you do consume. You’ll lose weight, feel less hungry, and have better control of your blood sugar.
